Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands; 2006 and 2007 Final Harvest Specifications for Groundfish, 10894-10912 [06-1995]
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which is based on the best scientific
information available. Because the
allocation is divided into seasonal
amounts, the first season (A season) will
close earlier than necessary unless the
delay in the effective date is waived and
the 2006 and 2007 final harvest
specifications become effective upon
publication. The GOA Pacific cod
fishery is the second largest fishery in
the GOA after pollock and all gear types
fish in the Pacific cod fisheries. Early
closures results in a disruption within
the fishing industry and the potential
for regulatory discards. The 2006 and
2007 final harvest specifications
establish increased Pacific cod TACs to
provide continued directed fishing for
species that would otherwise be
prohibited under the 2005 and 2006
harvest specifications. These final
harvest specifications were developed
as quickly as possible, given Council
consideration and recommendations in
December 2005.
Also, the current allocation for GOA
pollock under the authority of the final
2005 and 2006 harvest specifications (70
FR 8958, February 24, 2005) is higher
(91,910 mt) than the allocation under
the 2006 and 2007 final harvest
specifications (86,547 mt). Unless this
delay is waived, the A season pollock
fisheries will overharvest allocations
based on the best scientific information
available that was based incorporated
into the 2006 and 2007 final harvest
specifications.
Additionally, if the final harvest
specifications are not effective by March
5, 2006, which is the start of the Pacific
halibut season as specified by the IPHC,
the hook-and-line sablefish fishery will
not begin concurrently with the Pacific
halibut season. This would cause
sablefish that is caught with Pacific
halibut to be discarded, as both longline
sablefish and Pacific halibut are
managed under the same IFQ program.
Finally, the 2006 and 2007 final
harvest specifications implements the
groundfish sideboards and sideboard
closures that restrict the owners of
vessels with a history of participation in
the Bering Sea snow crab fishery from
using the increased flexibility provided
by the Crab Rationalization Program to
expand their level of participation in
GOA groundfish fisheries. Until the
2006 and 2007 final harvest
specifications are effective no sideboard
restrictions or closures apply to these
vessels.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.; 1540(f);
1801 et seq., 1851 note; and 3631 et seq.
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Dated: February 28, 2006.
James W. Balsiger,
Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 06–1994 Filed 3–2–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 060216044–6044–01; I.D.
112805B]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands; 2006 and 2007 Final
Harvest Specifications for Groundfish
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule; apportionment of
reserves; closures.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: NMFS announces 2006 and
2007 final harvest specifications and
prohibited species catch (PSC)
allowances for the groundfish fishery of
the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
management area (BSAI). This action is
necessary to establish harvest limits for
groundfish during the 2006 and 2007
fishing years and to accomplish the
goals and objectives of the Fishery
Management Plan for Groundfish of the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Management Area (FMP). The intended
effect of this action is to conserve and
manage the groundfish resources in the
BSAI in accordance with the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens
Act).
DATES: The 2006 and 2007 final harvest
specifications and associated
apportionment of reserves are effective
at 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.),
March 3, 2006 through 2400 hrs, A.l.t.,
December 31, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final
Environmental Assessment (EA) and
Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
(FRFA) prepared for this action are
available from Alaska Region, NMFS,
P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802,
Attn: Records Officer or from the Alaska
Region Web site at https://
www.fakr.noaa.gov. Copies of the 2005
Stock Assessment and Fishery
Evaluation (SAFE) report for the
groundfish resources of the BSAI, dated
November 2005, are available from the
North Pacific Fishery Management
PO 00000
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Council (Council), West 4th Avenue,
Suite 306, Anchorage, AK 99510–2252
(907–271–2809) or from its Web site at
https://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mary Furuness, 907–586–7228 or e-mail
mary.furuness@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal
regulations at 50 CFR part 679
implement the FMP and govern the
groundfish fisheries in the BSAI. The
Council prepared the FMP, and NMFS
approved it under the MagnusonStevens Act. General regulations
governing U.S. fisheries also appear at
50 CFR part 600.
The FMP and its implementing
regulations require NMFS, after
consultation with the Council, to
specify annually the total allowable
catch (TAC) for each target species and
for the ‘‘other species’’ category, the
sum must be within the optimum yield
range of 1.4 million to 2.0 million
metric tons (mt) (see § 679.20(a)(1)(i)).
Also specified are apportionments of
TACs, and Community Development
Quota (CDQ) reserve amounts, PSC
allowances, and prohibited species
quota (PSQ) reserve amounts. Section
679.20(c)(3) further requires NMFS to
consider public comment on the
proposed annual TACs and
apportionments thereof and the
proposed PSC allowances, and to
publish final harvest specifications in
the Federal Register. The final harvest
specifications listed in Tables 1 through
17 of this action satisfy these
requirements. For 2006 and 2007, the
sum of TACs for each year is 2 million
mt.
The 2006 and 2007 proposed harvest
specifications and PSC allowances for
the groundfish fishery of the BSAI were
published in the Federal Register on
December 16, 2005 (70 FR 74723).
Comments were invited and accepted
through January 17, 2006. NMFS
received 1 letter with several comments
on the proposed harvest specifications.
These comments are summarized and
responded to in the Response to
Comments section. NMFS consulted
with the Council during the December
2005 Council meeting in Anchorage,
AK. After considering public comments,
as well as biological and economic data
that were available at the Council’s
December meeting, NMFS is
implementing the 2006 and 2007 final
harvest specifications as recommended
by the Council.
Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) and
TAC Harvest Specifications
The final ABC levels are based on the
best available biological and
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socioeconomic information, including
projected biomass trends, information
on assumed distribution of stock
biomass, and revised technical methods
used to calculate stock biomass. In
general, the development of ABCs and
overfishing levels (OFLs) involves
sophisticated statistical analyses of fish
populations and is based on a
successive series of six levels, or tiers,
of reliable information available to
fishery scientists. Tier 1 represents the
highest level of data quality and tier 6
the lowest level of data quality
available.
In December 2005, the Scientific and
Statistical Committee (SSC), Advisory
Panel (AP), and Council reviewed
current biological information about the
condition of the BSAI groundfish stocks.
The Council’s Plan Team complied and
presented this information in the 2005
SAFE report for the BSAI groundfish
fisheries, dated November 2005. The
SAFE report contains a review of the
latest scientific analyses and estimates
of each species’ biomass and other
biological parameters, as well as
summaries of the available information
on the BSAI ecosystem and the
economic condition of groundfish
fisheries off Alaska. The SAFE report is
available for public review (see
ADDRESSES). From these data and
analyses, the Plan Team estimates an
OFL and ABC for each species or
species category.
In December 2005, the SSC, AP, and
Council reviewed the Plan Team’s
recommendations. Except for Bogoslof
pollock and the ‘‘other species’’
category, the SSC, AP, and Council
endorsed the Plan Team’s ABC
recommendations. For 2006 and 2007,
the SSC recommended lower Bogoslof
pollock OFLs and ABCs than the
maximum permissible OFLs and ABCs
recommended by the Plan Team. For
Bogoslof pollock, the SSC recommended
using a procedure that reduces the ABC
proportionately to the ratio of current
stock biomass to target stock biomass.
For ‘‘other species,’’ the SSC
recommended using tier 6 management
for the sharks and octopus species
resulting in lower ABCs than the Plan
Team’s recommended tier 5
management. The Plan Team also
recommended separate OFLs and ABCs
for the species in the ‘‘other species’’
category; however, the current FMP
specifies management at the group level.
Since 1999, the SSC has recommended
a procedure that moves gradually to a
higher ABC for ‘‘other species’’ over a
10-year period instead of a large
increase in one year. The 2006 and 2007
ABC amounts reflect the 8th and 9th
years of incremental increase in the
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ABC for ‘‘other species.’’ For all species,
the AP endorsed the ABCs
recommended by the SSC, and the
Council adopted them.
The final TAC recommendations were
based on the ABCs as adjusted for other
biological and socioeconomic
considerations, including maintaining
the sum of the TACs within the required
optimum yield (OY) range of 1.4 million
to 2 million mt. The Council adopted
the AP’s 2006 and 2007 TAC
recommendations. None of the
Council’s recommended TACs for 2006
or 2007 exceeds the final 2006 or 2007
ABC for any species category. NMFS
finds that the recommended OFLs,
ABCs, and TACs are consistent with the
biological condition of groundfish
stocks as described in the 2005 SAFE
report that was approved by the
Council.
Other Rules Affecting the 2006 and
2007 Harvest Specifications
The 2007 harvest specifications will
be updated in early 2007, when new
harvest specifications for 2007 and 2008
are implemented.
The Council is reviewing Amendment
85, which may revise the BSAI Pacific
cod sector allocation and apportion the
Pacific cod ABC or TAC by Bering Sea
subarea and Aleutian Islands (AI)
subarea separately instead of by the
entire BSAI management area. The
Council is also reviewing Amendment
84, which may modify current
regulations for managing incidental
catch of chinook and chum salmon.
Another action the Council may
consider is separating some species
from the ‘‘other species’’ species
category and establishing separate OFLs,
ABCs, and TACs for those species.
Changes From the 2006 and 2007
Proposed Harvest Specifications in the
BSAI
In October 2005, the Council’s
recommendations for the 2006 and 2007
proposed harvest specifications (70 FR
74723, December 16, 2005) were based
largely on information contained in the
2004 SAFE report for the BSAI
groundfish fisheries, dated November
2004. The Council recommended that
OFLs and ABCs for stocks in tiers 1
through 3 be based on biomass
projections as set forth in the 2004
SAFE report and estimates of groundfish
harvests through the 2005 fishing year.
For stocks in tiers 4 through 6, for
which projections could not be made,
the Council recommended that OFL and
ABC levels be unchanged from 2005
until the 2005 SAFE report could be
completed. The 2005 SAFE report
(dated November 2005), which was not
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10895
available when the Council made its
recommendations in October 2005,
contains the best and most recent
scientific information on the condition
of the groundfish stocks. In December
2005, the Council considered the 2005
SAFE report in making its
recommendations for the 2006 and 2007
final harvest specifications. Based on
the 2005 SAFE report, the sum of the
2006 and 2007 recommended final
TACs for the BSAI (2,000,000 mt) is the
same as the sum of the 2006 and 2007
proposed TACs. Those species for
which the final 2006 TAC is lower than
the proposed 2006 TAC are Bering Sea
subarea pollock (decreased to 1,485,000
mt, from 1,487,756 mt), Pacific cod
(decreased to 194,000 mt, from 195,000
mt), Greenland turbot (decreased to
2,740 mt, from 3,500 mt), rock sole
(decreased to 41,500 mt, from 42,000
mt), flathead sole (decreased to 19,500
mt, from 20,000 mt), Alaska plaice
(decreased to 8,000 mt, from 10,000 mt),
northern rockfish (decreased to 4,500
mt, from 5,000 mt), shortraker rockfish
(decreased to 580 mt, from 596 mt), and
‘‘other species’’ (decreased to 29,000 mt,
from 29,200 mt). Those species for
which the final 2006 TAC is higher than
the proposed 2006 TAC are Bering Sea
sablefish (increased to 2,820 mt, from
2,310 mt), AI sablefish (increased to
3,000 mt, from 2,480 mt), ‘‘other
flatfish’’ (increased to 3,500 mt, from
3,000 mt), yellowfin sole (increased to
95,701 mt, from 90,000 mt), arrowtooth
flounder (increased to 13,000 mt, from
12,000 mt), and rougheye rockfish
(increased to 224 mt, from 223 mt).
Those species for which the final 2007
TAC is lower than the proposed 2007
TAC are Pacific cod (decreased to
148,000 mt, from 172,200 mt), Bering
Sea Greenland turbot (decreased to
2,630 mt, from 10,500 mt), Atka
mackerel (decreased to 63,000 mt, from
90,800 mt), yellowfin sole (decreased to
107,641 mt, from 109,600 mt), rock sole
(decreased to 44,000 mt, from 116,100
mt), arrowtooth flounder (decreased to
18,000 mt, from 39,100 mt), flathead
sole (decrease to 22,000 mt, from 50,600
mt), ‘‘other flatfish’’ (decreased to 5,000
mt, from 21,400 mt), Alaska plaice
(decreased to 15,000 mt, from 65,000
mt), Pacific ocean perch (decreased to
14,800 mt, from 15,100 mt), northern
rockfish (decreased to 5,000 mt, from
8,200 mt), shortraker rockfish
(decreased to 580 mt, from 596 mt),
squid (decreased to 1,275 mt, from 1,970
mt), and ‘‘other species’’ (decreased to
27,000 mt, from 29,200). Those species
for which the final 2007 TAC is higher
than the proposed 2007 TAC are Bering
Sea pollock (increased to 1,500,000 mt,
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from 1,223,200 mt), Bering Sea sablefish
(increased to 2,700 mt, from 2,400 mt),
AI sablefish (increased to 2,740 mt, from
2,600 mt), and rougheye rockfish
(increased to 224 from 223 mt). As
mentioned in the 2006 and 2007
proposed harvest specifications, NMFS
is apportioning the amounts shown in
Table 2 from the non-specified reserve
to increase the ITAC of several target
species.
The 2006 and 2007 final TAC
recommendations for the BSAI are
within the OY range established for the
BSAI and do not exceed ABCs for any
single species/complexes. Compared to
the 2006 and 2007 proposed harvest
specifications, the Council’s 2005 final
TAC recommendations increase fishing
opportunities for fishermen and
economic benefits to the nation for
species for which the Council had
sufficient information to raise TAC
levels. These include BSAI sablefish,
yellowfin sole, arrowtooth flounder,
‘‘other flatfish’’, and rougheye rockfish.
Conversely, the Council reduced TAC
levels to provide greater protection for
several species, these include Bering
Sea subarea pollock, Pacific cod, rock
sole, Greenland turbot, flathead sole,
Alaska plaice, northern rockfish,
shortraker rougheye, and ‘‘other
species.’’ The changes recommended by
the Council were based on the best
scientific information available,
consistent with National Standard 2 of
the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and within
a reasonable range of variation from the
proposed TAC recommendations so that
the affected public was fairly apprised
and could have made meaningful
comments.
Table 1 lists the 2006 and 2007 final
OFL, ABC, TAC, ITAC and CDQ reserve
amounts of the BSAI groundfish. The
apportionment of TAC amounts among
fisheries and seasons is discussed
below.
TABLE 1.—2006 AND 2007 OVERFISHING LEVEL (OFL), ACCEPTABLE BIOLOGICAL CATCH (ABC), TOTAL ALLOWABLE
CATCH (TAC), INITIAL TAC (ITAC), AND CDQ RESERVE ALLOCATION OF GROUNDFISH IN THE BSAI 1
[Amounts are in metric tons]
2006
Species
2007
Area
OFL
ABC
TAC
ITAC 2
BS 2
Squid .....................................
Other species 8 .....................
........
AI 2 .........
Bogoslof
BSAI .......
BS ..........
AI ............
BSAI .......
EAI/BS ...
CAI .........
WAI ........
BSAI .......
BSAI .......
BSAI .......
BS ..........
AI ............
BSAI .......
BSAI .......
BSAI .......
BSAI .......
BSAI .......
BS ..........
EAI .........
CAI .........
WAI ........
BSAI .......
BSAI .......
BSAI .......
BSAI .......
BS ..........
AI ............
BSAI .......
BSAI .......
2,090,000
39,100
50,600
230,000
3,680
3,740
130,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
144,000
150,000
14,200
n/a
n/a
166,000
71,800
24,200
237,000
17,600
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
10,100
774
299
1,870
n/a
n/a
2,620
89,404
1,930,000
29,400
5,500
194,000
3,060
3,100
110,000
21,780
46,860
41,360
121,000
126,000
2,740
1,890
850
136,000
59,800
18,100
188,000
14,800
2,960
3,256
3,212
5,372
8,530
580
224
1,400
810
590
1,970
58,882
1,485,000
19,000
10
194,000
2,820
3,000
63,000
7,500
40,000
15,500
95,701
41,500
2,740
1,890
850
13,000
19,500
3,500
8,000
12,600
1,400
3,080
3,035
5,085
4,500
580
224
1,050
460
590
1,275
29,000
1,336,500
17,100
10
164,900
2,327
2,438
53,550
6,375
34,000
13,175
81,346
35,275
2,329
1,607
723
11,050
16,575
2,975
6,800
10,710
1,190
2,618
2,580
4,322
3,825
493
190
893
391
502
1,084
24,650
Total ...............................
................
3,476,987
3,013,086
2,000,000
1,775,020
Pollock 4
................................
Pacific cod ............................
Sablefish 5 .............................
Atka mackerel .......................
Yellowfin sole ........................
Rock sole ..............................
Greenland turbot ...................
Arrowtooth flounder ..............
Flathead sole ........................
Other flatfish 6 .......................
Alaska plaice .........................
Pacific ocean perch ..............
Northern rockfish ..................
Shortraker rockfish ................
Rougheye rockfish ................
Other rockfish 7 .....................
CDQ 3
OFL
ABC
TAC
ITAC 2
148,500
1,900
n/a
14,550
388
499
4,725
563
3,000
1,163
7,178
3,113
206
142
64
975
1,463
263
600
945
105
231
228
381
338
44
17
79
35
44
n/a
2,175
1,930,000
39,100
50,600
176,000
3,260
3,300
107,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
137,000
145,000
13,400
n/a
n/a
174,000
67,900
24,200
231,000
17,600
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
9,890
774
299
1,870
n/a
n/a
2,620
89,404
1,790,000
29,400
5,500
148,000
2,700
2,740
91,000
18,020
38,760
34,220
116,000
122,000
2,630
1,815
815
142,000
56,600
18,100
183,000
14,800
2,960
3,256
3,212
5,375
8,320
580
224
1,400
810
590
1,970
62,950
1,500,000
19,000
10
148,000
2,700
2,740
63,000
7,500
38,000
17,500
107,641
44,000
2,630
1,815
815
18,000
22,000
5,000
15,000
14,800
2,960
3,256
3,212
5,372
5,000
580
224
1,400
810
590
1,275
27,000
1,350,000
17,100
10
125,800
1,148
582
53,550
6,375
32,300
14,875
91,495
37,400
2,236
1,543
693
15,300
18,700
4,250
12,750
12,580
2,516
2,768
2,730
4,566
4,250
493
190
1,190
689
502
1,084
22,950
150,000
1,900
n/a
11,100
101
51
4,725
563
2,850
1,313
8,073
3,300
197
136
61
1,350
1,650
375
1,125
1,110
222
244
241
403
375
44
17
105
61
44
n/a
2,025
187,958
3,224,217
2,799,914
2,000,000
1,773,058
187,623
1 These
CDQ 3
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amounts apply to the entire BSAI management area unless otherwise specified. With the exception of pollock, and for the purpose of these harvest specifications, the Bering Sea (BS) subarea includes the Bogoslof District.
2 Except for pollock and the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line and pot gear, 15 percent of each TAC is put into a reserve. The ITAC for each
species is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction of these reserves.
3 Except for pollock, squid and the hook-and-line or pot gear allocation of sablefish, one half of the amount of the TACs placed in reserve, or 7.5 percent of the
TACs, is designated as a CDQ reserve for use by CDQ participants (see §§ 679.20(b)(1)(iii) and 679.31).
4 Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(1), the annual Bering Sea pollock TAC after subtraction for the CDQ directed fishing allowance—10 percent and the ICA—3.35
percent, is further allocated by sector for a directed pollock fishery as follows: Inshore—50 percent; catcher/processor—40 percent; and motherships—10 percent.
Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), the annual AI pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance—10 percent and second for the
ICA—1,800 mt, is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a directed pollock fishery.
5 Twenty percent of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line gear or pot gear and 7.5 percent of the sablefish TAC allocated to trawl gear is reserved for use
by CDQ participants (see § 679.20(b)(1)(iii)).
6 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), flathead sole, Greenland turbot, rock sole, yellowfin sole, arrowtooth flounder
and Alaska plaice.
7 ‘‘Other rockfish’’ includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, northern, shortraker, and rougheye rockfish.
8 ‘‘Other species’’ includes sculpins, sharks, skates and octopus. Forage fish, as defined at § 679.2, are not included in the ‘‘other species’’ category.
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Reserves and the Incidental Catch
Allowance (ICA) for Pollock
Section 679.20(b)(1)(i) requires the
placement of 15 percent of the TAC for
each target species or species group,
except for pollock and the hook-andline and pot gear allocation of sablefish,
in a non-specified reserve. Section
679.20(b)(1)(iii) further requires the
allocation of one-half of each TAC
amount that is placed in the nonspecified reserve (7.5 percent), with the
exception of squid, to the groundfish
CDQ reserve, and the allocation of 20
percent of the hook-and-line and pot
gear allocation of sablefish to the fixed
gear sablefish CDQ reserve. Sections
679.20(a)(5)(i)(A) and 679.31(a) also
require the allocation of 10 percent of
the BSAI pollock TACs to the pollock
CDQ directed fishing allowance. The
entire Bogoslof District pollock TAC is
allocated as an ICA (see
§ 679.20(a)(5)(ii)). With the exception of
the hook-and-line and pot gear sablefish
CDQ reserve, the regulations do not
further apportion the CDQ reserves by
gear. Section 679.21(e)(1)(i) requires
withholding of 7.5 percent of each PSC
limit, with the exception of herring, as
a PSQ reserve for the CDQ fisheries.
Sections 679.30 and 679.31 set forth
regulations governing the management
of the CDQ and PSQ reserves.
Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(1),
NMFS allocates a pollock ICA of 3.35
percent of the Bering Sea subarea
pollock TAC after subtraction of the 10
percent CDQ reserve. This allowance is
based on NMFS’ examination of the
pollock incidental catch, including the
incidental catch by CDQ vessels, in
target fisheries other than pollock from
1998 through 2005. During this 6-year
period, the pollock incidental catch
ranged from a low of 2 percent in 2003,
to a high of 5 percent in 1999, with a
6-year average of 3.5 percent. Pursuant
to § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii),
10897
NMFS recommends setting a 1,800 mt
ICA for AI subarea pollock after
subtraction of the 10 percent CDQ
directed fishing allowance.
The regulations do not designate the
remainder of the non-specified reserve
by species or species group. Any
amount of the reserve may be
apportioned to a target species or to the
‘‘other species’’ category during the
year, providing that such
apportionments do not result in
overfishing (see § 679.20(b)(1)(ii)). The
Regional Administrator has determined
that the ITACs specified for the species
listed in Table 2 need to be
supplemented from the non-specified
reserve because U.S. fishing vessels
have demonstrated the capacity to catch
the full TAC allocations. Therefore, in
accordance with § 679.20(b)(3), NMFS is
apportioning the amounts shown in
Table 2 from the non-specified reserve
to increase the ITAC to an amount that
is equal to TAC minus the CDQ reserve.
TABLE 2.—2006 AND 2007 APPORTIONMENT OF RESERVES TO ITAC CATEGORIES
[Amounts are in metric tons]
2006
reserve
amount
Species—area or subarea
2006
final
ITAC
2007
reserve
amount
2007
final
ITAC
Atka mackerel—Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea subarea ...............................
Atka mackerel—Central Aleutian District ........................................................................
Atka mackerel—Western Aleutian District .......................................................................
Pacific ocean perch—Eastern Aleutian District ...............................................................
Pacific ocean perch—Central Aleutian District ................................................................
Pacific ocean perch—Western Aleutian District ..............................................................
Pacific cod—BSAI ............................................................................................................
Shortraker rockfish—BSAI ...............................................................................................
Rougheye rockfish—BSAI ...............................................................................................
Northern rockfish—BSAI ..................................................................................................
Other rockfish—Bering Sea subarea ...............................................................................
563
3,000
1,163
231
228
381
14,550
44
17
338
35
6,938
37,000
14,338
2,849
2,808
4,703
179,450
537
207
4,163
426
563
2,850
1,313
244
241
403
11,100
44
17
375
61
6,938
35,150
16,188
3,012
2,971
4,969
136,900
537
207
4,625
750
Total ..........................................................................................................................
20,550
253,419
17,211
212,247
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Allocation of Pollock TAC Under the
American Fisheries Act (AFA)
Section 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A) requires that
the pollock TAC apportioned to the
Bering Sea subarea, after subtraction of
the 10 percent for the CDQ program and
the 3.35 percent for the ICA, will be
allocated as a directed fishing allowance
(DFA) as follows: 50 percent to the
inshore component, 40 percent to the
catcher/processor component, and 10
percent to the mothership component.
In the Bering Sea subarea, the A season
(January 20–June 10) is allocated 40
percent of the DFA and the B season
(June 10–November 1) is allocated 60
percent of the DFA. The AI directed
pollock fishery allocation to the Aleut
Corporation is the amount of pollock
remaining in the AI subarea after
subtracting 1,900 mt for the CDQ DFA
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(10 percent) and 1,800 mt for the ICA.
In the AI subarea, 40 percent of the ABC
is allocated to the A season and the
remainder of the directed pollock
fishery is allocated to the B season.
Table 3 lists these 2006 and 2007
amounts.
Section 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4) also
includes several specific requirements
regarding pollock and pollock
allocations. First, 8.5 percent of the
pollock allocated to the catcher/
processor sector will be available for
harvest by AFA catcher vessels with
catcher/processor sector endorsements,
unless the Regional Administrator
receives a cooperative contract that
provides for the distribution of harvest
among AFA catcher/processors and
AFA catcher vessels in a manner agreed
to by all members. Second, AFA
catcher/processors not listed in the AFA
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Sfmt 4700
are limited to harvesting not more than
0.5 percent of the pollock allocated to
the catcher/processor sector. Table 3
lists the 2006 and 2007 allocations of
pollock TAC. Tables 10 through 17 list
other provisions of the AFA, including
inshore pollock cooperative allocations
and listed catcher/processor and catcher
vessel harvesting sideboard limits.
Table 3 also lists seasonal
apportionments of pollock and harvest
limits within the Steller Sea Lion
Conservation Area (SCA). The harvest
within the SCA, as defined at
§ 679.22(a)(7)(vii), is limited to 28
percent of the annual directed fishing
allowance (DFA) until April 1. The
remaining 12 percent of the 40 percent
of the annual DFA allocated to the A
season may be taken outside the SCA
before April 1 or inside the SCA after
April 1. If the 28 percent of the annual
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DFA is not taken inside the SCA before
April 1, the remainder is available to be
taken inside the SCA after April 1. The
A season pollock SCA harvest limit will
be apportioned to each sector in
proportion to each sector’s allocated
percentage of the DFA. Table 3 lists by
sector these 2006 and 2007 amounts.
TABLE 3.—2006 AND 2007 ALLOCATIONS OF POLLOCK TACS TO THE DIRECTED POLLOCK FISHERIES AND TO THE CDQ
DIRECTED FISHING ALLOWANCES (DFA)1
[Amounts are in metric tons]
2006 A season 1
Area and sector
2006
allocations
A season
DFA
2007 A season 1
2006 B
season 1
SCA harvest limit 2
B season
DFA
2007
allocations
A season
DFA
2007 B
season 1
SCA harvest limit 2
B season
DFA
Bering Sea subarea .........
CDQ DFA .........................
ICA 1 .................................
AFA Inshore .....................
AFA Catcher/Processors 3
Catch by C/Ps ...........
Catch by CVs 3 .........
Unlisted C/P
Limit 4 .............
AFA Motherships .............
Excessive Harvesting
Limit 5 ............................
Excessive Processing
Limit 6 ............................
1,485,000
148,500
44,773
645,864
516,691
472,772
43,919
n/a
59,400
n/a
258,345
206,676
189,109
17,567
n/a
41,580
n/a
180,842
144,673
n/a
n/a
n/a
89,100
n/a
387,518
310,015
283,663
26,351
1,500,000
150,000
45,225
652,388
521,910
477,548
44,362
n/a
60,000
n/a
260,955
208,764
191,019
17,745
n/a
42,000
n/a
182,669
146,135
n/a
n/a
n/a
90,000
n/a
391,433
313,146
286,529
26,617
2,583
129,173
1,033
51,669
n/a
36,168
1,550
77,504
2,610
130,478
1,044
52,191
n/a
36,534
1,566
78,287
226,052
n/a
n/a
n/a
228,336
n/a
n/a
n/a
387,518
n/a
n/a
n/a
391,433
n/a
n/a
n/a
Total Bering Sea DFA
Aleutian Islands subarea 1
CDQ DFA ..................
ICA ............................
Aleut Corporation ......
1,440,228
19,000
1,900
1,800
15,300
576,090
n/a
760
1,200
9,800
403,263
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
864,137
n/a
1,140
600
5,500
1,454,776
19,000
1,900
1,800
15,300
581,910
n/a
760
1,200
9,800
407,338
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
872,866
n/a
1,140
600
5,500
Bogoslof District ICA 7 ......
10
n/a
n/a
n/a
10
n/a
n/a
n/a
1 Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the Bering Sea subarea pollock, after subtraction for the CDQ DFA—10 percent and the ICA—3.35 percent,
is allocated as a DFA as follows: Inshore component—50 percent, catcher/processor component—40 percent, and mothership component—10
percent. In the Bering Sea subarea, the A season, January 20—June 10, is allocated 40 percent of the DFA and the B season, June 10—November 1, is allocated 60 percent of the DFA. Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), the annual AI pollock TAC, after subtracting first for
the CDQ directed fishing allowance—10 percent and second the ICA—1,800 mt, is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a directed pollock fishery. In the AI subarea, the A season is allocated 40 percent of the ABC and the B season is allocated the remainder of the directed pollock fishery.
2 In the Bering Sea subarea, no more than 28 percent of each sector’s annual DFA may be taken from the SCA before April 1. The remaining
12 percent of the annual DFA allocated to the A season may be taken outside of SCA before April 1 or inside the SCA after April 1. If 28 percent
of the annual DFA is not taken inside the SCA before April 1, the remainder is available to be taken inside the SCA after April 1.
3 Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4), not less than 8.5 percent of the DFA allocated to listed catcher/processors shall be available for harvest
only by eligible catcher vessels delivering to listed catcher/processors.
4 Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4)(iii), the AFA unlisted catcher/processors are limited to harvesting not more than 0.5 percent of the catcher/
processors sector’s allocation of pollock.
5 Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(6) NMFS establishes an excessive harvesting share limit equal to 17.5 percent of the sum of the pollock
DFAs.
6 Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(7) NMFS establishes an excessive processing share limit equal to 30.0 percent of the sum of the pollock
DFAs.
7 The Bogoslof District is closed by the final harvest specifications to directed fishing for pollock. The amounts specified are for ICA only, and
are not apportioned by season or sector.
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Allocation of the Atka Mackerel ITAC
Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(8)(i), up to 2
percent of the Eastern Aleutian District
and the Bering Sea subarea Atka
mackerel ITAC may be allocated to jig
gear. The amount of this allocation is
determined annually by the Council
based on several criteria, including the
anticipated harvest capacity of the jig
gear fleet. The Council recommended,
and NMFS approved, a 1 percent
allocation of the Atka mackerel ITAC in
the Eastern Aleutian District and the
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Bering Sea subarea to the jig gear in
2006 and 2007. Based on the 2006 and
2007 ITACs and reserve apportionments
that together total 6,938 mt, the jig gear
allocation is 69 mt.
Section § 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(A)
apportions the Atka mackerel ITAC into
two equal seasonal allowances. After
subtraction of the jig gear allocation, the
first seasonal allowance is made
available for directed fishing from
January 1 (January 20 for trawl gear) to
April 15 (A season), and the second
seasonal allowance is made available
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Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
from September 1 to November 1 (B
season) (see Table 4).
Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(1), the
Regional Administrator will establish a
harvest limit area (HLA) limit of no
more than 60 percent of the seasonal
TAC for the Western and Central
Aleutian Districts. A lottery system is
used for the HLA Atka mackerel
directed fisheries to reduce the amount
of daily catch in the HLA by about half
and to disperse the fishery over two
districts (see § 679.20(a)(8)(iii)).
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TABLE 4.–2006 AND 2007 SEASONAL AND SPATIAL ALLOWANCES, GEAR SHARES, AND CDQ RESERVE OF THE BSAI
ATKA MACKEREL TAC 1
[Amounts are in metric tons]
2006 seasonal allowances 2
Subarea and component
2006 TAC
2006 CDQ
reserve
2006 CDQ
reserve HLA
limit 4
A season 3
2006 ITAC
B season 3
HLA limit 4
Total
Total
HLA limit 4
Western AI District ...........
Central AI District .............
EAI/BS subarea 5 .............
Jig (1%) 6 ..................
Other gear (99%) ......
15,500
40,000
7,500
n/a
n/a
1,163
3,000
563
n/a
n/a
698
1,800
n/a
n/a
n/a
14,338
37,000
6,938
69
6,868
7,169
18,500
n/a
n/a
3,434
4,301
11,100
n/a
n/a
n/a
7,169
18,500
n/a
n/a
3,434
4,301
11,100
n/a
n/a
n/a
Total ...................
63,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
29,103
n/a
29,103
n/a
2007 Seasonal
Subarea and component
2007 TAC
2007 CDQ
reserve
2007 CDQ
reserve HLA
limit 4
allowances 2
B season 3
2007 ITAC
A season 3
HLA limit 4
Total
Total
Western AI District ...........
Central AI District .............
EAI/BS subarea 5 .............
Jig (1%) 6 ..................
Other gear (99%) ......
17,500
38,000
7,500
n/a
n/a
1,313
2,850
563
n/a
n/a
788
1,710
n/a
n/a
n/a
16,188
35,150
6,938
69
6,868
8,094
17,575
n/a
n/a
3,434
4,856
10,545
n/a
n/a
n/a
8,094
17,575
n/a
n/a
3,434
4,856
10,545
n/a
n/a
n/a
Total ...................
63,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
29,103
n/a
29,103
n/a
1 Regulations
at §§ 679.20(a)(8)(ii) and 679.22(a) establish temporal and spatial limitations for the Atka mackerel fishery.
seasonal allowances of Atka mackerel are 50 percent in the A season and 50 percent in the B season.
A season is January 1 (January 20 for trawl gear) to April 15 and the B season is September 1 to November 1.
4 Harvest Limit Area (HLA) limit refers to the amount of each seasonal allowance that is available for fishing inside the HLA (see § 679.2). In
2006 and 2007, 60 percent of each seasonal allowance is available for fishing inside the HLA in the Western and Central Aleutian Districts.
5 Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea.
6 Regulations at § 679.20 (a)(8)(i) require that up to 2 percent of the Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea ITAC be allocated to
jig gear. The amount of this allocation is 1 percent. The jig gear allocation is not apportioned by season.
2 The
3 The
wwhite on PROD1PC65 with RULES
Allocation of the Pacific Cod ITAC
Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(7)(i)(A), 2
percent of the Pacific cod ITAC is
allocated to vessels using jig gear, 51
percent to vessels using hook-and-line
or pot gear, and 47 percent to vessels
using trawl gear. Section
679.20(a)(7)(i)(B) further allocates the
portion of the Pacific cod ITAC
allocated to trawl gear as 50 percent to
catcher vessels and 50 percent to
catcher/processors. Section
679.20(a)(7)(i)(C)(1) sets aside a portion
of the Pacific cod ITAC allocated to
hook-and-line or pot gear as an ICA of
Pacific cod in directed fisheries for
groundfish using these gear types. Based
on anticipated incidental catch in these
fisheries, the Regional Administrator
specifies an ICA of 500 mt. The
remainder of Pacific cod ITAC is further
allocated to vessels using hook-and-line
or pot gear as the following DFAs: 80
percent to hook-and-line catcher/
processors, 0.3 percent to hook-and-line
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Jkt 208001
catcher vessels, 3.3 percent to pot
catcher/processors, 15 percent to pot
catcher vessels, and 1.4 percent to
catcher vessels under 60 feet (18.3 m)
length overall (LOA) using hook-andline or pot gear.
Due to concerns about the potential
impact of the Pacific cod fishery on
Steller sea lions and their critical
habitat, the apportionment of the ITAC
disperses the Pacific cod fisheries into
two seasonal allowances (see
§§ 679.20(a)(7)(iii)(A) and 679.23(e)(5)).
For pot and most hook-and-line gear,
the first seasonal allowance of 60
percent of the ITAC is made available
for directed fishing from January 1 to
June 10, and the second seasonal
allowance of 40 percent of the ITAC is
made available from June 10 (September
1 for pot gear) to December 31. No
seasonal harvest constraints are
imposed for the Pacific cod fishery by
catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 m)
LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear.
PO 00000
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Sfmt 4700
For trawl gear, the first season is January
20 to April 1 and is allocated 60 percent
of the ITAC. The second season, April
1 to June 10, and the third season, June
10 to November 1, are each allocated 20
percent of the ITAC. The trawl catcher
vessel allocation is further allocated as
70 percent in the first season, 10 percent
in the second season and 20 percent in
the third season. The trawl catcher/
processor allocation is allocated 50
percent in the first season, 30 percent in
the second season, and 20 percent in the
third season. For jig gear, the first
season and third seasons are each
allocated 40 percent of the ITAC and the
second season is allocated 20 percent of
the ITAC. Table 5 lists the 2006 and
2007 allocations and seasonal
apportionments of the Pacific cod ITAC.
In accordance with § 679.20(a)(7)(ii)(D)
and (iii)(B), any unused portion of a
seasonal Pacific cod allowance will
become available at the beginning of the
next seasonal allowance.
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TABLE 5.—2006 AND 2007 GEAR SHARES AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF THE BSAI PACIFIC COD ITAC
[Amounts are in metric tons]
Amount
2007
share of
gear
sector
total
2007
subtotal
percentage for
gear
sectors
2007
share of
gear
sector
total
n/a ....................
n/a
69,819
n/a
n/a
n/a ....................
n/a
n/a
n/a
43,690
29,126
164
109
1,803
1,201
8,192
5,461
n/a
n/a
69,319
n/a
n/a
n/a
80
500
n/a
55,455
n/a
0.3
208
n/a
3.3
2,288
n/a
15
10,398
1,274
n/a ....................
n/a ....................
Jan 1–Jun 10 ...
Jun 10–Dec 31
Jan 1–Jun 10 ...
Jun 10–Dec 31
Jan 1–Jun 10 ...
Sept 1–Dec 31
Jan 1–Jun 10 ...
Sept 1–Dec 31
n/a ....................
n/a
1.4
970
n/a ....................
n/a ....................
Jan 1–Jun 10 ...
Jun 10–Dec 31
Jan 1–Jun 10 ...
Jun 10–Dec 31
Jan 1–Jun 10 ...
Sept 1–Dec 31
Jan 1–Jun 10 ...
Sept 1–Dec 31
n/a ....................
n/a
n/a
33,273
22,182
125
83
1,373
915
6,239
4,159
n/a
n/a ....................
Jan 20–Apr 1 ...
Apr 1–Jun 10 ...
Jun 10–Nov 1 ...
Jan 20–Apr 1 ...
Apr 1–Jun 10 ...
Jun 10–Nov 1 ...
Jan 1–Apr 30 ...
Apr 30–Aug 31
Aug 31–Dec 31
n/a
29,520
4,217
8,434
21,086
12,651
8,434
1,436
718
1,435
64,343
..............
n/a
50
2,738
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
32,171
n/a
n/a
32,171
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a ....................
Jan 20–Apr 1 ...
Apr 1–Jun 10 ...
Jun 10–Nov 1 ...
Jan 20–Apr 1 ...
Apr 1–Jun 10 ...
Jun 10–Nov 1 ...
Jan 1–Apr 30 ...
Apr 30–Aug 31
Aug 31–Dec 31
n/a
22,520
3,217
6,434
16,086
9,651
6,434
1,095
548
1,095
n/a ....................
n/a
136,900
n/a
n/a
n/a ....................
n/a
2006
share of
gear
sector
total
2006
subtotal
percentages for
gear
sectors
2006
share of
gear
sector
total
51
91,520
n/a
n/a
n/a
91,020
n/a
n/a
n/a
80
500
n/a
72,816
Hook-and-line CV ..............
n/a
n/a
n/a
..............
n/a
n/a
0.3
273
Pot C/P ..............................
n/a
n/a
3.3
3,004
Pot CV ...............................
n/a
n/a
15
13,653
CV < 60 feet LOA using
Hook-and-line or Pot
gear.
n/a
n/a
1.4
47
..............
84,342
..............
n/a
50
Gear sector
Percent
Total hook-and-line/pot
gear.
Hook-and-line/pot ICA .......
Hook-and-line/pot sub-total
Hook-and-line C/P .............
Total Trawl Gear ........
Trawl CV .....................
Jig ......................................
2
3,589
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
42,171
n/a
n/a
42,171
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Total ....................
100
179,450
n/a
n/a
Trawl CP .....................
50
2006 seasonal
appointment 1
Date
50
2007 seasonal
appointment 1
Date
Amount
1 For
most non-trawl gear the first season is allocated 60 percent of the ITAC and the second season is allocated 40 percent of the ITAC. For jig gear, the first season and third seasons are each allocated 40 percent of the ITAC and the second season is allocated 20 percent of the ITAC. No seasonal harvest constraints are imposed for the Pacific cod fishery by catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear. For trawl gear, the first season is allocated 60
percent of the ITAC and the second and third seasons are each allocated 20 percent of the ITAC. The trawl catcher vessels’ allocation is further allocated as 70 percent in the first season, 10 percent in the second season and 20 percent in the third season. The trawl catcher/processors’ allocation is allocated 50 percent in the
first season, 30 percent in the second season and 20 percent in the third season. Any unused portion of a seasonal Pacific cod allowance will be reapportioned to the
next seasonal allowance.
Sablefish Gear Allocation
Section 679.20(a)(4)(iii) and (iv)
requires the allocation of sablefish TACs
for the Bering Sea and AI subareas
between trawl and hook-and-line or pot
gear. Gear allocations of the TACs for
the Bering Sea subarea are 50 percent
for trawl gear and 50 percent for hookand-line or pot gear and for the AI
subarea are 25 percent for trawl gear and
75 percent for hook-and-line or pot gear.
Section 679.20(b)(1)(iii)(B) requires
apportionment of 20 percent of the
hook-and-line and pot gear allocation of
sablefish to the CDQ reserve.
Additionally, § 679.20(b)(1)(iii)(A)
requires apportionment of 7.5 percent of
the trawl gear allocation of sablefish
(one half of the reserve) to the CDQ
reserve. Pursuant to § 679.20(c)(1)(iv),
the harvest specifications for the hookand-line gear and pot gear sablefish IFQ
fisheries will be limited to the 2006
fishing year to ensure those fisheries are
conducted concurrent with the halibut
IFQ fishery. Having the sablefish IFQ
fisheries concurrent with the halibut
IFQ fishery will reduce the potential for
discards of halibut and sablefish in
those fisheries. The sablefish IFQ
fisheries will remain closed at the
beginning of each fishing year until the
final specifications for the sablefish IFQ
fisheries are in effect. The trawl
sablefish fishery will be managed using
specifications for up to a 2-year period
concurrent with the remaining BSAI
species. Table 6 lists the 2006 and 2007
gear allocations of the sablefish TAC
and CDQ reserve amounts.
TABLE 6.—2006 AND 2007 GEAR SHARES AND CDQ RESERVE OF BSAI SABLEFISH TACS
[Amounts are in metric tons]
Percent of
TAC
Subarea and gear
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1,199
1,128
106
282
1,350
n/a
1,148
n/a
101
n/a
2,820
2,327
388
1,350
1,148
101
25
75
PO 00000
1,410
1,410
100
Total ...........................................
Aleutian Islands:
Trawl 2 ...............................................
Hook-and-line/pot gear 3 ...................
2006 ITAC 1
50
50
Bering Sea:
Trawl 2 ...............................................
Hook-and-line/pot gear 3 ...................
2006 share
of TAC
750
2,250
638
1,800
56
450
685
n/a
582
n/a
51
n/a
Frm 00070
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
2006 CDQ
reserve
2007 share
of TAC
E:\FR\FM\03MRR1.SGM
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2007 ITAC
2007 CDQ
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 42 / Friday, March 3, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
TABLE 6.—2006 AND 2007 GEAR SHARES AND CDQ RESERVE OF BSAI SABLEFISH TACS—Continued
[Amounts are in metric tons]
Percent of
TAC
Subarea and gear
Total ...........................................
2006 share
of TAC
2006 ITAC 1
3,000
2006 CDQ
reserve
2,438
100
2007 share
of TAC
506
685
2007 ITAC
582
2007 CDQ
reserve
51
1 Except
wwhite on PROD1PC65 with RULES
for the sablefish hook-and-line or pot gear allocation, 15 percent of TAC is apportioned to the reserve. The ITAC is the remainder of
the TAC after the subtraction of these reserves.
2 For the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to vessels using trawl gear, one half of the reserve (7.5 percent of the specified TAC) is reserved for the CDQ program.
3 For the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to vessels using hook-and-line or pot gear, 20 percent of the allocated TAC is reserved for use
by CDQ participants. The Council recommended that specifications for the hook-and-line gear sablefish IFQ fisheries be limited to 1 year.
Allocation of PSC Limits for Halibut,
Salmon, Crab, and Herring
Section 679.21(e) provides the halibut
PSC limits. The BSAI halibut mortality
limits are 3,675 mt for trawl fisheries
and 900 mt for the non-trawl fisheries.
Section 679.21(e)(1)(vii) specifies 29,000
fish as the 2006 and 2007 chinook
salmon PSC limit for the Bering Sea
subarea pollock fishery. Section
679.21(e)(1)(i) allocates 7.5 percent, or
2,175 chinook salmon, as the PSQ for
the CDQ program and allocates the
remaining 26,825 chinook salmon to the
non-CDQ fisheries. Section
679.21(e)(1)(ix) specifies 700 fish as the
2006 and 2007 PSC limit for the AI
subarea pollock fishery. Section
679.21(e)(l)(i) allocates 7.5 percent, or
53 chinook salmon, as an AI PSQ for the
CDQ program and allocates the
remaining 647 chinook salmon to the
non-CDQ fisheries. Section
679.21(e)(1)(viii) specifies 42,000 fish as
the 2006 and 2007 non-chinook salmon
PSC limit. Section 679.21(e)(1)(i)
allocates 7.5 percent, or 3,150 nonchinook salmon, as the PSQ for the CDQ
program and allocates the remaining
38,850 non-chinook salmon to the nonCDQ fisheries. PSC limits for crab and
herring are specified annually based on
abundance and spawning biomass.
The red king crab mature female
abundance is estimated from the 2005
survey data as 42.6 million king crab
and the effective spawning biomass is
estimated as 68 million pounds (30,845
mt). Based on the criteria set out at
§ 679.21(e)(1)(ii), the 2006 and 2007 PSC
limit of red king crab in Zone 1 for trawl
gear is 197,000 animals. This limit
results from the mature female
abundance being above 8.4 million king
crab and the effective spawning biomass
estimate being greater than 55 million
pounds (24,948 mt).
Section 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B) establishes
criteria under which NMFS must
specify an annual red king crab bycatch
limit for the Red King Crab Savings
Subarea (RKCSS). The regulations limit
the RKCSS to up to 35 percent of the
trawl bycatch allowance specified for
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the rock sole/flathead sole/‘‘other
flatfish’’ fishery category based on the
need to optimize the groundfish harvest
relative to red king crab bycatch. The
Council recommended, and NMFS
approves, a red king crab bycatch limit
equal to 35 percent of the trawl bycatch
allowance specified for the rock sole/
flathead sole/‘‘other flatfish’’ fishery
category within the RKCSS.
Based on 2005 survey data, Tanner
crab Chionoecetes bairdi abundance is
estimated as 763 million animals. Given
the criteria set out at § 679.21(e)(1)(iii),
the 2006 and 2007 C. bairdi crab PSC
limit for trawl gear is 980,000 animals
in Zone 1 and 2,970,000 animals in
Zone 2. These limits result from the C.
bairdi crab abundance estimate of over
400 million animals.
Pursuant to § 679.21(e)(1)(iv), the PSC
limit for snow crab C. opilio is based on
total abundance as indicated by the
NMFS annual bottom trawl survey. The
C. opilio crab PSC limit is set at 0.1133
percent of the Bering Sea abundance
index. Based on the 2005 survey
estimate of 5,217,718,000 animals, the
calculated limit is 5,911,674 animals.
Pursuant to § 679.21(e)(1)(iv)(B), the
2006 and 2007 C. opilio crab PSC limit
is 5,911,674 animals minus 150,000
animals, which results in a limit of
5,761,674 animals.
Pursuant to § 679.21(e)(1)(vi), the PSC
limit of Pacific herring caught while
conducting any trawl operation for BSAI
groundfish is 1 percent of the annual
eastern Bering Sea herring biomass. The
best estimate of 2006 and 2007 herring
biomass is 177,000 mt. This amount was
derived using 2005 survey data and an
age-structured biomass projection model
developed by the Alaska Department of
Fish and Game. Therefore, the 2006 and
2007 herring PSC limit is 1,770 mt.
Pursuant to § 679.21(e)(1)(i), 7.5
percent of each PSC limit specified for
halibut and crab is allocated as a PSQ
reserve for use by the groundfish CDQ
program. Section § 679.21(e)(3) requires
the apportionment of each trawl PSC
limit into PSC bycatch allowances for
seven specified fishery categories.
Section 679.21(e)(4)(ii) authorizes the
PO 00000
Frm 00071
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
apportionment of the non-trawl halibut
PSC limit into PSC bycatch allowances
among five fishery categories. Table 7
lists the fishery bycatch allowances for
the trawl and non-trawl fisheries.
Section 679.21(e)(4)(ii) authorizes the
exemption of specified non-trawl
fisheries from the halibut PSC limit. As
in past years, NMFS, after consultation
with the Council, is exempting pot gear,
jig gear, and the sablefish IFQ hook-andline gear fishery categories from halibut
bycatch restrictions because: (1) The pot
gear fisheries experience low halibut
bycatch mortality, (2) halibut mortality
for the jig gear fleet cannot be estimated
because these vessels do not carry
observers, and (3) the sablefish and
halibut Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ)
program (subpart D of 50 CFR part 679)
requires legal-sized halibut to be
retained by vessels using hook-and-line
gear if a halibut IFQ permit holder or a
hired master is aboard and is holding
unused halibut IFQ. In 2005, total BSAI
groundfish catch for the pot gear fishery
was approximately 18,342 mt, with an
associated halibut bycatch mortality of
about 42 mt. The 2005 jig gear fishery
harvested about 124 mt of groundfish.
Most vessels in the jig gear fleet are less
than 60 ft (18.3 m) LOA and thus are
exempt from observer coverage
requirements. As a result, observer data
are not available on halibut bycatch in
the jig gear fishery. However, a
negligible amount of halibut bycatch
mortality is assumed because of the
selective nature of this gear type and the
likelihood that halibut caught with jig
gear have a high survival rate when
released.
Section 679.21(e)(5) authorizes
NMFS, after consultation with the
Council, to establish seasonal
apportionments of PSC amounts in
order to maximize the ability of the fleet
to harvest the available groundfish TAC
and to minimize bycatch. The factors to
be considered are: (1) Seasonal
distribution of prohibited species, (2)
seasonal distribution of target
groundfish species, (3) PSC bycatch
needs on a seasonal basis relevant to
E:\FR\FM\03MRR1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 42 / Friday, March 3, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
prohibited species biomass, (4) expected
variations in bycatch rates throughout
the year, (5) expected start of fishing
effort, and (6) economic effects of
seasonal PSC apportionments on
industry sectors. The Council
recommended and NMFS approves the
seasonal PSC apportionments in Table 7
to maximize harvest among gear types,
fisheries, and seasons while minimizing
bycatch of PSC based on the above
criteria.
TABLE 7.—2006 AND 2007 PROHIBITED SPECIES BYCATCH ALLOWANCES FOR THE BSAI TRAWL AND NON-TRAWL
FISHERIES
Prohibited species and zone
Trawl fisheries
Halibut
mortality
(mt) BSAI
Herring (mt)
BSAI
Red King
Crab
(animals)
zone 1 1
C. opilio
(animals)
COBLZ 1
C. bairdi
(animals)
Zone 1 1
Zone 2 1
Yellowfin sole ...................................................................
January 20–April 1 ....................................................
April 1–May 21 ..........................................................
May 21–July 1 ..........................................................
July 1–December 31 .................................................
Rock sole/other flat/flathead sole 2 ..................................
January 20–April 1 ....................................................
April 1–July 1 ............................................................
July 1–December 31 .................................................
Turbot/arrowtooth/sablefish 3 ...........................................
Rockfish ...........................................................................
July 1–December 31 .................................................
Pacific cod ........................................................................
Midwater trawl pollock .....................................................
Pollock/Atka mackerel/other 4 ..........................................
Red King Crab Savings Subarea 6 ..................................
(non-pelagic trawl) .................................................
886
262
195
49
380
779
448
164
167
n/a
n/a
69
1,434
n/a
232
n/a
n/a
152
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
27
n/a
n/a
n/a
12
n/a
10
27
1,350
192
n/a
n/a
33,843
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
121,413
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
26,563
n/a
406
n/a
42,495
4,103,752
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
810,091
n/a
n/a
n/a
62,356
n/a
62,356
184,402
n/a
106,591
n/a
n/a
340,844
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
365,320
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
183,112
n/a
17,224
n/a
n/a
1,788,459
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
596,154
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
10,988
324,176
n/a
27,473
n/a
n/a
Total trawl PSC .........................................................
3,400
1,770
182,225
5,329,548
906,500
2,747,250
Pacific cod—Total ............................................................
January 1–June 10 ...................................................
June 10–August 15 ...................................................
August 15–December 31 ..........................................
Other non-trawl—Total .....................................................
May 1–December 31 ................................................
Groundfish pot and jig .....................................................
Sablefish hook-and-line ...................................................
775
320
0
455
58
58
exempt
exempt
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
Total non-trawl PSC .................................................
833
....................
....................
....................
....................
....................
PSQ reserve 5 ...........................................................
342
n/a
14,775
432,126
73,500
222,750
PSC grand total .................................................
4,575
2,012
197,000
5,761,674
980,000
2,970,000
Non-trawl fisheries
1 Refer
to § 679.2 for definitions of areas.
2 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ for PSC monitoring includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), Greenland turbot, rock sole, yellowfin
sole and arrowtooth flounder.
3 Greenland turbot, arrowtooth flounder, and sablefish fishery category.
4 Pollock other than pelagic trawl pollock, Atka mackerel, and ‘‘other species’’ fishery category.
5 With the exception of herring, 7.5 percent of each PSC limit is allocated to the CDQ program as PSQ reserve. The PSQ reserve is not allocated by fishery, gear or season.
6 In December 2005, the Council recommended that red king crab bycatch for trawl fisheries within the RKCSS be limited to 35 percent of the
total allocation to the rock sole/flathead sole/‘‘other flatfish’’ fishery category (see § 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)).
wwhite on PROD1PC65 with RULES
Halibut Discard Mortality Rates
To monitor halibut bycatch mortality
allowances and apportionments, the
Regional Administrator will use
observed halibut bycatch rates, assumed
discard mortality rates (DMR), and
estimates of groundfish catch to project
when a fishery’s halibut bycatch
mortality allowance or seasonal
apportionment is reached. The DMRs
are based on the best information
available, including information
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:36 Mar 02, 2006
Jkt 208001
contained in the annual SAFE report
(see ADDRESSES).
The Council recommended and
NMFS concurs that the recommended
halibut DMRs developed by the staff of
the International Pacific Halibut
Commission (IPHC) for the 2006 and
2007 BSAI groundfish fisheries be used
to monitor halibut bycatch allowances
established for the 2006 and 2007
groundfish fisheries (see Table 8). The
IPHC developed these DMRs using the
10-year mean DMRs for the BSAI non-
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Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
CDQ groundfish fisheries. Plots of
annual DMRs against the 10-year mean
indicated little change since 1990 for
most fisheries. DMRs were more
variable for the smaller fisheries that
typically take minor amounts of halibut
bycatch. The IPHC will analyze observer
data annually and recommend changes
to the DMR where a fishery DMR shows
large variation from the mean. The IPHC
has been calculating the DMRs for the
CDQ fisheries since 1998, and a 10-year
mean is not available. The Council
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recommended and NMFS concurs with
the DMRs recommended by the IPHC for
2006 and 2007 CDQ fisheries. The
justification for the DMRs is discussed
10903
in Appendix A of the SAFE report dated
November 2004.
TABLE 8.—2006 AND 2007 ASSUMED PACIFIC HALIBUT DISCARD MORTALITY RATES FOR THE BSAI FISHERIES
Preseason
assumed
mortality
(percent)
Fishery
Hook-and-line gear fisheries:
Greenland turbot ...............................................................................................................................................................................
Other species ...................................................................................................................................................................................
Pacific cod ........................................................................................................................................................................................
Rockfish ............................................................................................................................................................................................
Trawl gear fisheries:
Atka mackerel ...................................................................................................................................................................................
Flathead sole ....................................................................................................................................................................................
Greenland turbot ...............................................................................................................................................................................
Non-pelagic pollock ..........................................................................................................................................................................
Pelagic pollock ..................................................................................................................................................................................
Other flatfish .....................................................................................................................................................................................
Other species ...................................................................................................................................................................................
Pacific cod ........................................................................................................................................................................................
Rockfish ............................................................................................................................................................................................
Rock sole ..........................................................................................................................................................................................
Sablefish ...........................................................................................................................................................................................
Yellowfin sole ....................................................................................................................................................................................
Pot gear fisheries:
Other species ...................................................................................................................................................................................
Pacific cod ........................................................................................................................................................................................
CDQ trawl fisheries:
Atka mackerel ...................................................................................................................................................................................
Flathead sole ....................................................................................................................................................................................
Non-pelagic pollock ..........................................................................................................................................................................
Pelagic pollock ..................................................................................................................................................................................
Rockfish ............................................................................................................................................................................................
Yellowfin sole ....................................................................................................................................................................................
CDQ hook-and-line fisheries:
Greenland turbot ...............................................................................................................................................................................
Pacific cod ........................................................................................................................................................................................
CDQ pot fisheries:
Pacific cod ........................................................................................................................................................................................
Sablefish ...........................................................................................................................................................................................
Directed Fishing Closures
In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i),
the Regional Administrator may
establish a directed fishing allowance
for a species or species group, if the
Regional Administrator determines that
any allocation or apportionment of a
target species or ‘‘other species’’
category has been or will be reached. If
the Regional Administrator establishes a
directed fishing allowance, and that
allowance is or will be reached before
the end of the fishing year, NMFS will
prohibit directed fishing for that species
or species group in the specified subarea
or district (see § 697.20(d)(1)(iii)).
Similarly, pursuant to § 679.21(e), if the
Regional Administrator determines that
a fishery category’s bycatch allowance
of halibut, red king crab, C. bairdi crab
or C. opilio crab for a specified area has
15
11
11
16
78
67
72
76
85
71
67
68
74
77
49
78
8
8
86
67
85
89
74
85
15
10
8
30
been reached, the Regional
Administrator will prohibit directed
fishing for each species in that category
in the specified area.
The Regional Administrator has
determined that the remaining
allocation amounts in Table 9 will be
necessary as incidental catch to support
other anticipated groundfish fisheries
for the 2006 and 2007 fishing year.
TABLE 9.—2006 AND 2007 DIRECTED FISHING CLOSURES 1
[Amounts are in metric tons]
2006
incidental
catch
allowance
Species
Bogoslof District ................................................................
Aleutian Islands subarea ..................................................
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Area
Pollock ..............................................................................
ICA Pollock .......................................................................
‘‘Other rockfish’’ ................................................................
Pacific ocean perch ..........................................................
‘‘Other rockfish’’ ................................................................
Northern rockfish ..............................................................
Shortraker rockfish ...........................................................
Rougheye rockfish ...........................................................
Bering Sea subarea ..........................................................
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands ......................................
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E:\FR\FM\03MRR1.SGM
03MRR1
10
1,800
502
1,190
426
4,163
537
207
2007
incidental
catch
allowance
10
1,800
502
2,516
750
4,625
537
207
10904
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 42 / Friday, March 3, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
TABLE 9.—2006 AND 2007 DIRECTED FISHING CLOSURES 1—Continued
[Amounts are in metric tons]
Area
2006
incidental
catch
allowance
Species
‘‘Other species’’ ................................................................
CDQ Northern rockfish .....................................................
CDQ Shortraker rockfish ..................................................
CDQ Rougheye rockfish ..................................................
CDQ ‘‘Other species’’ .......................................................
wwhite on PROD1PC65 with RULES
1 Maximum
22,950
375
44
17
2,025
retainable amounts may be found in Table 11 to 50 CFR part 679.
Consequently, in accordance with
§ 679.20(d)(1)(i), the Regional
Administrator establishes the directed
fishing allowances for the above species
or species groups as zero. Therefore, in
accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(iii),
NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for
these species in the specified areas
effective at 1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 3,
2006 through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December
31, 2007.
In addition, the BSAI Zone 1 annual
red king crab allowance specified for the
trawl rockfish fishery (see
§ 679.21(e)(3)(iv)(D)) is 0 mt and the
BSAI first seasonal halibut bycatch
allowance specified for the trawl
rockfish fishery is 0 mt. Also, the BSAI
annual halibut bycatch allowance
specified for the trawl Greenland turbot/
arrowtooth flounder/sablefish fishery
categories is 0 mt (see
§ 679.21(e)(3)(iv)(C)). Therefore, in
accordance with § 679.21(e)(7)(ii) and
(v), NMFS is prohibiting directed
fishing for rockfish by vessels using
trawl gear in Zone 1 of the BSAI and
directed fishing for Greenland turbot/
arrowtooth flounder/sablefish by vessels
using trawl gear in the BSAI effective at
1200 hrs, A.l.t., March 3, 2006 through
2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2007.
NMFS also is prohibiting directed
fishing for rockfish outside Zone 1 in
the BSAI through 1200 hrs, A.l.t., July
1, 2006 for 2006 and July 1, 2007 for
2007.
Under authority of the 2005 and 2006
final harvest specifications (70 FR 8979,
February 24, 2005), NMFS prohibited
directed fishing for Atka mackerel in the
Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering
Sea subarea of the BSAI effective 1200
hrs, A.l.t., January 20, 2006, through
1200 hrs, A.l.t., September 1, 2006 (71
FR 4528, January 27, 2006). NMFS
opened the first directed fisheries in the
HLA in area 542 and area 543 effective
1200 hrs, A.l.t., January 22, 2006. The
first HLA fishery in area 542 and area
VerDate Aug<31>2005
24,650
338
44
17
2,175
2007
incidental
catch
allowance
16:36 Mar 02, 2006
Jkt 208001
543 remained open through 1200 hrs,
A.l.t., February 5, 2006. The second
directed fisheries in the HLA in area 542
and area 543 opened effective 1200 hrs,
A.l.t., February 7, 2006. The second
HLA fishery in area 542 and 543
remained open through 1200 hrs, A.l.t.,
February 21, 2006. NMFS prohibited
directed fishing for Pacific cod by
catcher vessels 60 feet (18.3 meters)
length overall and longer using pot gear
in the BSAI, effective 12 noon, A.l.t.,
February 3, 2006 (71 FR 6230, February
7, 2006). NMFS prohibited directed
fishing for non-CDQ pollock with trawl
gear in the Chinook Salmon Savings
Areas of the BSAI effective 1200 hrs,
A.l.t., February 15, 2006, through 1200
hrs, A.l.t., April 15, 2006, and from 1200
hrs, A.l.t, September 1, 2006, through
2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2006 (71
FR 8808, February 21, 2006). NMFS
prohibited directed fishing for Atka
Mackerel in the central Aleutian District
of the BSAI, effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t.,
February 18, 2006, through 1200 hrs,
A.l.t., September 1, 2006 (71 FR 9479,
February 24, 2006). NMFS prohibited
directed fishing for Pacific cod by
catcher/processor vessels using hookand-line gear in the BSAI, effective 1200
hrs, A.l.t.,February 18, 2006, through
1200 hrs, A.l.t., June 10, 2006 (71 FR
9478, February 24, 2006). NMFS
prohibited directed fishing for Pacific
cod by catcher/processor vessels using
hook-and-line gear in the BSAI, effective
1200 hrs, A.l.t., February 18, 2006,
through 1200 hrs, A.l.t., June 10, 2006
(71 FR 9478, February 24, 2006). NMFS
closes directed fishing for rock sole,
flathead sole, and ‘‘other flatfish’’ by
vessels using trawl gear in the BSAI
effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t., February 21,
2006, through 1200 hrs, A.l.t., April 1,
2006 (71 FR 9478, February 24, 2006).
NMFS prohibited fishing for Pacific cod
by catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3
meters (m)) length overall using jig or
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Sfmt 4700
hook-and-line gear in the Bogoslof
Pacific cod exemption area of the BSAI,
effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t., February 22,
2006, through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December
31, 2006 (71 FR 9739, February 27,
2006). NMFS prohibited directed fishing
for Pacific cod by catcher vessels 60 feet
(18.3 meters (m)) length overall and
longer using hook-and-line gear in the
BSAI effective 1200 hrs, A.l.t., February
24, 2006, through 1200 hrs, A.l.t., June
10, 2006, to be published March 1, 2006,
in the Federal Register.
These closures remain effective under
authority of these 2006 and 2007 final
harvest specifications. These closures
supersede the closures announced
under authority of the 2005 and 2006
final harvest specifications (69 FR 8979,
February 24, 2005). While these closures
are in effect, the maximum retainable
amounts at § 679.20(e) and (f) apply at
any time during a fishing trip. These
closures to directed fishing are in
addition to closures and prohibitions
found in regulations at 50 CFR part 679.
Bering Sea Subarea Inshore Pollock
Allocations
Section 679.4(l) sets forth the
procedures for AFA inshore catcher
vessel pollock cooperatives to apply for
and receive cooperative fishing permits
and inshore pollock allocations. Table
10 lists the 2006 and 2007 Bering Sea
subarea pollock allocations to the seven
inshore catcher vessel pollock
cooperatives based on 2006 cooperative
allocations that have been approved and
permitted by NMFS for the 2006 fishing
year. The Bering Sea subarea allocations
may be revised pending adjustments to
cooperatives’ membership in 2007.
Allocations for cooperatives and open
access vessels are not made for the AI
subarea because the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2004 requires the
non-CDQ directed pollock fishery to be
fully allocated to the Aleut Corporation.
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10905
TABLE 10.—2006 AND 2007 BERING SEA SUBAREA INSHORE COOPERATIVE ALLOCATIONS
[Amounts are in metric tons]
Cooperative name and member vessels
Sum of member vessel’s
official catch
histories1
(mt)
Akutan Catcher Vessel Association ........................................................................
Arctic Enterprise Association ...................................................................................
Northern Victor Fleet Cooperative ...........................................................................
Peter Pan Fleet Cooperative ...................................................................................
Unalaska Cooperative .............................................................................................
UniSea Fleet Cooperative .......................................................................................
Westward Fleet Cooperative ...................................................................................
Open access AFA vessels ......................................................................................
......................
......................
......................
......................
......................
......................
......................
......................
Total inshore allocation ....................................................................................
875,572
Percentage
of inshore
sector
allocation
2006 annual
cooperative
allocation
(mt)
2007 annual
cooperative
allocation
(mt)
31.145
1.146
8.412
2.876
12.191
25.324
18.906
0
201,154
7,402
54,330
18,575
78,737
163,559
122,107
0
203,186
7,476
54,879
18,763
79,533
165,211
123,340
0
100
645,864
652,388
1 According
to regulations at § 679.62(e)(1), the individual catch history for each vessel is equal to the vessel’s best 2 of 3 years inshore pollock landings from 1995 through 1997 and includes landings to catcher/processors for vessels that made 500 or more mt of landings to catcher/
processors from 1995 through 1997.
Section 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(3) further
divides the inshore sector allocation
into separate allocations for cooperative
and open access fishing. In addition,
according to § 679.22(a)(7)(vii), NMFS
must establish harvest limits inside the
SCA and provide a set-aside so that
catcher vessels less than or equal to 99
ft (30.2 m) LOA have the opportunity to
operate entirely within the SCA until
April 1. Accordingly, Table 11 lists the
Bering Sea subarea pollock allocation to
the inshore cooperative and open access
sectors and establishes a cooperativesector SCA set-aside for AFA catcher
vessels less than or equal to 99 ft (30.2
m) LOA. The SCA set-aside for catcher
vessels less than or equal to 99 ft (30.2
m) LOA that are not participating in a
cooperative will be established inseason
based on actual participation levels and
is not included in Table 11.
TABLE 11.—2006 AND 2007 BERING SEA SUBAREA POLLOCK ALLOCATIONS TO THE COOPERATIVE AND OPEN ACCESS
SECTORS OF THE INSHORE POLLOCK FISHERY
[Amounts are in metric tons]
2006 A
season
TAC
Sector
2006 A
season
SCA
harvest
limit 1
2006 B
season
TAC
2007 A
season
TAC
2007 A
season
SCA
harvest
limit 1
2007 B
season
TAC
Inshore cooperative sector:
Vessels > 99 ft ..........................................................
Vessels < 99 ft ..........................................................
Total ...................................................................
n/a
n/a
258,345
155,408
25,488
180,842
n/a
n/a
387,518
n/a
n/a
260,955
156,923
25,746
182,669
n/a
n/a
391,433
Open access sector .........................................................
Total inshore sector ..................................................
0
258,345
02
180,842
0
387,518
0
260,955
02
182,669
0
391,433
1 The
Steller sea lion conservation area (SCA) is established at § 679.22(a)(7)(vii).
SCA limitations for vessels less than or equal to 99 ft LOA that are not participating in a cooperative will be established on an inseason
basis in accordance with § 679.22(a)(7)(vii)(C)(2) that specifies that ‘‘the Regional Administrator will prohibit directed fishing for pollock by vessels
greater than 99 ft (30.2 m) LOA, catching pollock for processing by the inshore component before reaching the inshore SCA harvest limit before
April 1 to accommodate fishing by vessels less than or equal to 99 ft (30.2 m) inside the SCA until April 1.’’
2 The
Listed AFA Catcher/Processor
Sideboard Limits
wwhite on PROD1PC65 with RULES
According to § 679.64(a), the Regional
Administrator will restrict the ability of
listed AFA catcher/processors to engage
in directed fishing for groundfish
species other than pollock to protect
participants in other groundfish
fisheries from adverse effects resulting
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16:36 Mar 02, 2006
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from the AFA and from fishery
cooperatives in the directed pollock
fishery. The basis for these sideboard
limits is described in detail in the final
rule implementing major provisions of
the AFA (67 FR 79692, December 30,
2002). Table 12 lists the 2006 and 2007
catcher/processor sideboard limits.
All groundfish other than pollock that
are harvested by listed AFA catcher/
PO 00000
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Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
processors, whether as targeted catch or
incidental catch, will be deducted from
the sideboard limits in Table 12.
However, groundfish other than pollock
that are delivered to listed catcher/
processors by catcher vessels will not be
deducted from the 2006 and 2007
sideboard limits for the listed catcher/
processors.
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 42 / Friday, March 3, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
TABLE 12.—2006 AND 2007 LISTED BSAI AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER/PROCESSOR GROUNDFISH SIDEBOARD
LIMITS
[Amounts are in metric tons]
1995–1997
Target species
Area
Pacific cod trawl .............................................
Sablefish trawl ................................................
BSAI .............
BS ................
AI ..................
Central AI .....
A season 1 ....
HLA limit 2 ....
B season 1 ....
HLA limit 2 ....
Western AI ...
A season 1 ....
HLA limit 2 ....
B season 1 ....
HLA limit 2 ....
BSAI .............
BSAI .............
BS ................
AI ..................
BSAI .............
BSAI .............
BSAI .............
BSAI .............
BS ................
Eastern AI ....
Central AI .....
Western AI ...
BSAI .............
BSAI .............
BSAI .............
BS ................
AI ..................
BSAI .............
BSAI .............
Atka mackerel .................................................
Yellowfin sole ..................................................
Rock sole ........................................................
Greenland turbot .............................................
Arrowtooth flounder ........................................
Flathead sole ..................................................
Alaska plaice ..................................................
Other flatfish ...................................................
Pacific ocean perch ........................................
Northern rockfish ............................................
Shortraker rockfish .........................................
Rougheye rockfish ..........................................
Other rockfish .................................................
Squid ...............................................................
Other species .................................................
Retained
catch
12,424
8
0
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
100,192
6,317
121
23
76
1,925
14
3,058
12
125
3
54
91
50
50
18
22
73
553
Total
catch
Ratio of
retained
catch to
total catch
48,177
497
145
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
435,788
169,362
17,305
4,987
33,987
52,755
9,438
52,298
4,879
6,179
5,698
13,598
13,040
2,811
2,811
621
806
3,328
68,672
2006 ITAC
available to
trawl C/Ps
0.258
0.016
0.000
n/a
0.115
n/a
0.115
n/a
n/a
0.200
n/a
0.200
n/a
0.230
0.037
0.007
0.005
0.002
0.036
0.001
0.058
0.002
0.020
0.001
0.004
0.007
0.018
0.018
0.029
0.027
0.022
0.008
42,171
1,199
638
n/a
18,500
11,100
18,500
11,100
n/a
7,169
4,301
7,169
4,301
81,346
35,275
1,607
723
11,050
16,575
6,800
2,975
1,190
2,849
2,808
4,703
4,163
537
207
426
502
1,084
24,650
2006 C/P
sideboard
limit
2007 ITAC
available to
trawl C/Ps
10,880
19
0
n/a
2,128
1,277
2,128
1,277
n/a
1,434
860
1,434
860
18,710
1,305
11
4
22
597
7
173
2
57
3
19
29
10
4
12
14
24
197
32,171
1,148
582
n/a
17,575
10,545
17,575
10,545
n/a
8,094
4,856
8,094
4,856
91,495
37,400
1,543
693
15,300
18,700
12,750
4,250
2,516
3,012
2,971
4,969
4,625
537
207
750
502
1,084
22,950
2007 C/P
sideboard
limit
8,300
18
0
n/a
2,021
1,213
2,021
1,213
n/a
1,619
971
1,619
971
21,044
1,384
11
3
31
673
13
247
5
60
3
20
32
10
4
22
14
24
184
1 The seasonal apportionment of Atka mackerel in the open access fishery is 50 percent in the A season and 50 percent in the B season. Listed AFA catcher/processors are limited to harvesting no more than zero in the Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea subarea, 20 percent of the annual ITAC specified for the Western
Aleutian District, and 11.5 percent of the annual ITAC specified for the Central Aleutian District.
2 Harvest Limit Area (HLA) limit refers to the amount of each seasonal allowance that is available for fishing inside the HLA (see § 679.2). In 2006 and 2007, 60
percent of each seasonal allowance is available for fishing inside the HLA in the Western and Central Aleutian Districts.
Section 679.64(a)(5) establishes a
formula for PSC sideboard limits for
listed AFA catcher/processors. The
basis for these sideboard limits is
described in detail in the final rule
implementing major provisions of the
AFA (67 FR 79692, December 30, 2002).
PSC species listed in Table 13 that are
caught by listed AFA catcher/processors
participating in any groundfish fishery
other than pollock will accrue against
the 2006 and 2007 PSC sideboard limits
for the listed AFA catcher/processors.
Section 679.21(e)(3)(v) authorizes NMFS
to close directed fishing for groundfish
other than pollock for listed AFA
catcher/processors once a 2006 or 2007
PSC sideboard limit listed in Table 13
is reached.
Crab or halibut PSC that is caught by
listed AFA catcher/processors while
fishing for pollock will accrue against
the bycatch allowances annually
specified for either the midwater
pollock or the pollock/Atka mackerel/
‘‘other species’’ fishery categories under
regulations at § 679.21(e)(3)(iv).
TABLE 13.—2006 AND 2007 BSAI AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT LISTED CATCHER/PROCESSOR PROHIBITED SPECIES
SIDEBOARD LIMITS 1
1995–1997
PSC species
wwhite on PROD1PC65 with RULES
PSC catch
Halibut mortality .......................................................................................
Red king crab ...........................................................................................
C. opilio 2 ..................................................................................................
C. bairdi ...................................................................................................
Zone 1 2 ............................................................................................
Zone 2 2 ............................................................................................
955
3,098
2,323,731
n/a
385,978
406,860
Total PSC
Ratio of
PSC catch
to total PSC
2006 and
2007 PSC
available to
trawl
vessels
0.084
0.007
0.153
n/a
0.140
0.050
3,400
182,225
5,329,548
n/a
906,500
2,747,250
11,325
473,750
15,139,178
n/a
2,750,000
8,100,000
1 Halibut
2 Refer
amounts are in metric tons of halibut mortality. Crab amounts are in numbers of animals.
to § 679.2 for definitions of areas.
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Frm 00076
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
E:\FR\FM\03MRR1.SGM
03MRR1
2006 and
2007 C/P
sideboard
limit
286
1,276
815,421
n/a
126,910
137,363
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 42 / Friday, March 3, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
AFA Catcher Vessel Sideboard Limits
Pursuant to § 679.64(a), the Regional
Administrator restricts the ability of
AFA catcher vessels to engage in
directed fishing for groundfish species
other than pollock to protect
participants in other groundfish
fisheries from adverse effects resulting
from the AFA and from fishery
cooperatives in the directed pollock
fishery. Section 679.64(b) establishes a
formula for setting AFA catcher vessel
groundfish and PSC sideboard limits for
the BSAI. The basis for these sideboard
limits is described in detail in the final
rule implementing major provisions of
the AFA (67 FR 79692, December 30,
10907
2002). Tables 14 and 15 list the 2006
and 2007 AFA catcher vessel sideboard
limits.
All harvests of groundfish sideboard
species made by non-exempt AFA
catcher vessels, whether as targeted
catch or incidental catch, will be
deducted from the sideboard limits
listed in Table 14.
TABLE 14.—2006 AND 2007 BSAI AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL SIDEBOARD LIMITS
[Amounts are in metric tons]
Species
Fishery by area/season/
processor/gear
Pacific cod ....................................
BSAI ..............................................
Jig gear .........................................
Hook-and-line CV .........................
Jan 1–Jun 10 ................................
Jun 10–Dec 31 .............................
Pot gear CV ..................................
Jan 1–Jun 10 ................................
Sept 1–Dec 31 ..............................
CV < 60 feet LOA using hookand-line or pot gear.
Trawl gear CV ..............................
Jan 20–Apr 1 ................................
Apr 1–Jun 10 ................................
Jun 10–Nov 1 ...............................
BS trawl gear ................................
AI trawl gear .................................
Eastern AI/BS ...............................
Jig gear .........................................
Other gear ....................................
Jan 1–Apr 15 ................................
Sept 1–Nov 1 ................................
Central AI ......................................
Jan–Apr 15 ...................................
HLA limit .......................................
Sept 1–Nov 1 ................................
HLA limit .......................................
Western AI ....................................
Jan–Apr 15 ...................................
HLA limit .......................................
Sept 1–Nov 1 ................................
HLA limit .......................................
BSAI ..............................................
BSAI ..............................................
BS .................................................
AI ..................................................
BSAI ..............................................
BSAI ..............................................
BSAI ..............................................
BS .................................................
Eastern AI .....................................
Central AI ......................................
Western AI ....................................
BSAI ..............................................
BSAI ..............................................
BSAI ..............................................
BS .................................................
AI ..................................................
BSAI ..............................................
BSAI ..............................................
BS trawl gear ................................
Sablefish .......................................
Atka mackerel ...............................
Yellowfin sole ................................
Rock sole ......................................
Greenland Turbot .........................
Arrowtooth flounder ......................
Alaska plaice ................................
Other flatfish .................................
Pacific ocean perch ......................
wwhite on PROD1PC65 with RULES
Northern rockfish ..........................
Shortraker rockfish .......................
Rougheye rockfish ........................
Other rockfish ...............................
Squid .............................................
Other species ...............................
Flathead Sole ...............................
Halibut and crab PSC that are caught
by AFA catcher vessels participating in
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Ratio of
1995–1997
AFA CV
catch to
1995–1997
TAC
2006 initial
TAC
Frm 00077
Fmt 4700
2007 initial
TAC
2007 catcher vessel
sideboard
limits
n/a
0.0000
n/a
0.0006
0.0006
n/a
0.0006
0.0006
0.0006
n/a
3,589
n/a
164
109
n/a
8,192
5,461
1,274
n/a
0
n/a
0
0
n/a
5
3
1
n/a
2,738
n/a
125
83
n/a
6,239
4,159
970
n/a
0
n/a
0
0
n/a
4
2
1
n/a
0.8609
0.8609
0.8609
0.0906
0.0645
n/a
0.0031
n/a
0.0032
0.0032
n/a
0.0001
0.0001
0.0001
0.0001
n/a
0.0000
n/a
0.0000
n/a
0.0647
0.0341
0.0645
0.0205
0.0690
0.0441
0.0441
0.1000
0.0077
0.0025
0.0000
0.0084
0.0037
0.0037
0.0048
0.0095
0.3827
0.0541
0.0505
n/a
29,520
4,217
8,434
1,199
638
n/a
69
n/a
3,434
3,434
n/a
18,500
11,100
18,500
11,100
n/a
7,169
4,301
7,169
4,301
81,346
35,275
1,607
723
11,050
6,800
2,975
1,190
2,849
2,808
4,703
4,163
537
207
426
502
1,084
24,650
16,575
n/a
25,414
3,630
7,261
109
41
n/a
0
n/a
11
11
n/a
2
1
2
1
n/a
0
0
0
0
5,263
1,203
104
15
762
300
131
119
22
7
0
35
2
1
2
5
415
1,334
837
n/a
22,520
3,217
6,434
1,148
582
n/a
69
n/a
3,434
3,434
n/a
17,575
10,545
17,575
10,545
n/a
8,094
4,856
8,094
4,856
91,495
37,400
1,543
693
15,300
12,750
4,250
2,516
3,012
2,971
4,969
4,625
537
207
750
502
1,084
22,950
18,700
n/a
19,387
2,770
5,539
104
38
n/a
0
n/a
11
11
n/a
2
1
2
1
n/a
0
0
0
0
5,920
1,275
100
14
1,056
562
187
252
23
7
0
39
2
1
4
5
415
1,242
944
any groundfish fishery for groundfish
other than pollock listed in Table 15
PO 00000
2006 catcher vessel
sideboard
limits
Sfmt 4700
will accrue against the 2006 and 2007
PSC sideboard limits for the AFA
E:\FR\FM\03MRR1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 42 / Friday, March 3, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
catcher vessels. Sections 679.21(d)(8)
and (e)(3)(v) provide authority to close
directed fishing for groundfish other
than pollock for AFA catcher vessels
once a 2006 or 2007 PSC sideboard limit
listed in Table 15 for the BSAI is
reached. The PSC that is caught by AFA
catcher vessels while fishing for pollock
in the BSAI will accrue against the
bycatch allowances annually specified
for either the midwater pollock or the
pollock/Atka mackerel/‘‘other species’’
fishery categories under regulations at
§ 679.21(e)(3)(iv).
TABLE 15.—2006 AND 2007 AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL PROHIBITED SPECIES CATCH SIDEBOARD
LIMITS FOR THE BSAI 1
[Amounts are in metric tons]
Ratio of
1995–1997
AFA CV
retained
catch to
total
retained
catch
PSC species
Target fishery category 2
Halibut .........................................
Pacific cod trawl .............................................................................
Pacific cod hook-and-line or pot .....................................................
Yellowfin sole ..................................................................................
January 20–April 1 .........................................................................
April 1–May 21 ...............................................................................
May 21–July 1 ................................................................................
July 1–December 31 ......................................................................
Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish 5 ...........................................
January 20–April 1 .........................................................................
April 1–July 1 ..................................................................................
July 1–December 31 ......................................................................
Turbot/Arrowtooth/Sablefish ...........................................................
Rockfish (July 1–December 31) .....................................................
Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species ..............................................
Pacific cod ......................................................................................
Yellowfin sole ..................................................................................
Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish 5 ...........................................
Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species ..............................................
Pacific cod ......................................................................................
Yellowfin sole ..................................................................................
Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish 5 ...........................................
Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species ..............................................
Rockfish ..........................................................................................
Turbot/Arrowtooth/Sablefish ...........................................................
Pacific cod ......................................................................................
Yellowfin sole ..................................................................................
Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish 5 ...........................................
Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species ..............................................
Pacific cod ......................................................................................
Yellowfin sole ..................................................................................
Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish 5 ...........................................
Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species ..............................................
Rockfish ..........................................................................................
Red King Crab ............................
Zone 1 3,4 ....................................
C. opilio .......................................
COBLZ 3 ......................................
C. bairdi ......................................
Zone 1 3 ......................................
C. bairdi ......................................
Zone 2 3 ......................................
0.6183
0.0022
n/a
0.1144
0.1144
0.1144
0.1144
n/a
0.2841
0.2841
0.2841
0.2327
0.0245
0.0227
0.6183
0.1144
0.2841
0.0227
0.6183
0.1144
0.2841
0.0227
0.0245
0.2327
0.6183
0.1144
0.2841
0.0227
0.6183
0.1144
0.2841
0.0227
0.0245
2006 and
2007 PSC
limit
1,434
775
n/a
262
195
49
380
n/a
448
164
167
0
69
232
26,563
33,843
121,413
406
184,402
4,103,752
810,091
106,591
62,356
62,356
183,112
340,844
365,320
17,224
324,176
1,788,459
596,154
27,473
10,988
2006 and
2007 AFA
catcher
vessel PSC
sideboard
limit
887
2
n/a
30
22
6
43
n/a
127
47
47
0
2
5
16,424
3,872
34,493
9
114,016
469,469
230,147
2,420
1,528
14,510
113,218
38,993
103,787
391
200,438
204,600
169,367
624
269
1 Halibut
amounts are in metric tons of halibut mortality. Crab amounts are in numbers of animals.
fishery categories are defined in regulation at § 679.21(e)(3)(iv).
3 Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of areas.
4 In December 2005, the Council recommended that red king crab bycatch for trawl fisheries within the RKCSS be limited to 35 percent of the
total allocation to the rock sole/flathead sole/‘‘other flatfish’’ fishery category (see § 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)).
5 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ for PSC monitoring includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), Greenland turbot, rock sole, yellowfin
sole, arrowtooth flounder.
2 Target
Sideboard Directed Fishing Closures
wwhite on PROD1PC65 with RULES
AFA Catcher/Processor and Catcher
Vessel Sideboard Closures
The Regional Administrator has
determined that many of the AFA
catcher/processor and catcher vessel
sideboard limits listed in Tables 16 and
17 are necessary as incidental catch to
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:36 Mar 02, 2006
Jkt 208001
support other anticipated groundfish
fisheries for the 2006 fishing year. In
accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(iv), the
Regional Administrator establishes the
sideboard limits listed in Tables 16 and
17 as directed fishing allowances. The
Regional Administrator finds that many
of these directed fishing allowances will
be reached before the end of the year.
PO 00000
Frm 00078
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
Therefore, in accordance with
§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii), NMFS is prohibiting
directed fishing by listed AFA catcher/
processors for the species in the
specified areas set out in Table 16 and
directed fishing by non-exempt AFA
catcher vessels for the species in the
specified areas set out in Table 17.
E:\FR\FM\03MRR1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 42 / Friday, March 3, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
10909
TABLE 16.—2006 AND 2007 AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT LISTED CATCHER/PROCESSOR SIDEBOARD DIRECTED FISHING
CLOSURES1
[Amounts are in metric tons]
Species
Area
Gear types
Sablefish trawl ................................................................
BS ......................................
AI ........................................
BSAI ...................................
BS ......................................
AI ........................................
BSAI ...................................
BS ......................................
Eastern AI ..........................
Central AI ...........................
Western AI .........................
BSAI ...................................
BSAI ...................................
BSAI ...................................
BS ......................................
AI ........................................
BSAI ...................................
BSAI ...................................
Trawl ..................................
Trawl ..................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
Rock sole ........................................................................
Greenland turbot .............................................................
Arrowtooth flounder ........................................................
Pacific ocean perch ........................................................
Northern rockfish ............................................................
Shortraker rockfish ..........................................................
Rougheye rockfish ..........................................................
Other rockfish .................................................................
Squid ...............................................................................
‘‘Other species’’ ..............................................................
1Maximum
2006
sideboard
limit
19
0
1,305
11
4
22
2
57
3
19
29
10
4
12
14
24
197
2007
sideboard
limit
18
0
1,384
11
3
31
5
60
3
20
32
10
4
22
14
24
184
retainable amounts may be found in Table 11 to 50 CFR part 679.
TABLE 17.—2006 AND 2007 AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL SIDEBOARD DIRECTED FISHING CLOSURES1
[Amounts are in metric tons]
Species
Area
Gear types
Pacific cod ......................................................................
BSAI ...................................
BSAI ...................................
BSAI ...................................
BS ......................................
AI ........................................
Eastern AI/BS ....................
Eastern AI/BS ....................
Central AI ...........................
Western AI .........................
BS ......................................
AI ........................................
BSAI ...................................
BS ......................................
Eastern AI ..........................
Central AI ...........................
Western AI .........................
BSAI ...................................
BSAI ...................................
BSAI ...................................
BS ......................................
AI ........................................
BSAI ...................................
BSAI ...................................
hook-and-line .....................
pot ......................................
jig .......................................
trawl ...................................
trawl ...................................
jig .......................................
other ...................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
all .......................................
Sablefish .........................................................................
Atka mackerel .................................................................
Greenland Turbot ............................................................
Arrowtooth flounder ........................................................
Pacific ocean perch ........................................................
Northern rockfish ............................................................
Shortraker rockfish ..........................................................
Rougheye rockfish ..........................................................
Other rockfish .................................................................
Squid ...............................................................................
‘‘Other species’’ ..............................................................
1 Maximum
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0
9
0
109
41
0
11
2
0
104
15
762
119
22
7
0
35
2
1
2
5
415
1,334
2007
sideboard
limit
0
9
0
104
38
0
11
2
0
100
14
1,056
252
23
7
0
39
2
1
4
5
415
1,242
retainable amounts may be found in Table 11 to 50 CFR part 679.
Response to Comments
NMFS received one letter of comment
in response to the proposed 2006 and
2007 harvest specifications. This letter
contained 6 separate comments that are
summarized and responded to below.
Comment 1: The action is a major
federal action that has significant effects
on the quality of the human
environment and requires an
Environmental Impact Statement.
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limit
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Response: NMFS prepared an EA for
the 2006 and 2007 harvest
specifications. The analysis in the EA
supports a finding of no significant
impact on the human environment as a
result of the harvest specifications.
Therefore, an environmental impact
statement is not required under section
102(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy Act or its implementing
regulations.
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Comment 2: The ‘‘Ecosystem
Considerations’’ report is not explicitly
integrated into the process of setting
ABC and TAC. NMFS should also
integrate directly ecosystem needs into
harvest specifications through
development and implementation of
Ecologically Sustainable Yield (ESY).
Response: ESY is defined as ‘‘the
yield an ecosystem can sustain without
shifting to an undesirable state’’ (Zabel
et al. 2003). This is a qualitative concept
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because judging an ‘‘undesirable state’’
may vary widely. ESY requires
simultaneously considering the impacts
of all harvested species on an ecosystem
and quantifying important qualities
such as community stability or
resilience. This poses challenges due to
uncertainty and indeterminacy inherent
in ecological systems and the fact that
ecosystems respond to natural processes
in ways that are not well understood.
The NMFS and the Council, in
essence, fulfill determinations of the
ESYs through the development and
evaluation of the SAFE report (see
ADDRESSES) and during implementation
of inseason multispecies fisheries
management practices. The SAFE report
evaluates the status and trends of the
entire ecosystem. Also, the SAFE report
responds to the stated ecosystem-based
management goals of the Council. These
goals are: (1) Maintain biodiversity
consistent with natural evolutionary
and ecological processes, including
dynamic change and variability; (2)
Maintain and restore habitats essential
for fish and their prey; (3) Maintain
system sustainability and sustainable
yields for human consumption and
nonextractive uses; and (4) Maintain the
concept that humans are components of
the ecosystem.
All groundfish species are currently
managed for their impacts from a
conservation and ecosystem
perspective. As an example, the recent
development of the Gulf of Alaska
(GOA) skate fishery led to prompt
management action to provide
appropriate protection of this species
assemblage. Currently, there are ABC
levels specified for the two main species
of skates over three different areas. This
effectively has prohibited the further
development of a directed fishery for
skates until more information is
available to ensure appropriate
conservation measures are taken.
Zabel, R.W., C.J. Harvey, S.L. Katz, T.P.
Good, and P.S. Levin. 2003. Ecologically
sustainable yield. American Scientist
91: 150–157.
Comment 3: Catch levels for North
Pacific rockfish are being set without
sufficient precaution. They are based on
inadequate and highly variable biomass
estimates, without regard to stock
structure and without proper
consideration of life history
characteristics such as rockfish
longevity, late age at sexual maturity,
and the increased reproductive success
of older, more fecund female fish.
Response: Multiple layers of
precaution are built into catch levels for
North Pacific rockfish with agestructured models (Tier 3). For example,
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GOA Pacific ocean perch are assigned
an FABC at F40%. Bayesian spawnerrecruit analysis showed that maximum
sustainable yield (MSY) was attained at
approximately F29%. While the target
fishing mortality is already well below
MSY, the Eastern GOA is closed to
trawling, further reducing fishing
mortality by 10 percent. Another
precautionary layer is to employ a
catchability coefficient near two. This
means that the fishing mortality is
applied to a biomass estimate that is
about half of the biomass estimate that
is derived from the trawl survey. The
age-structured modeling approach
integrates a variety of information to
compensate for variable survey results.
Catch levels for North Pacific rockfish
with survey-biomass based models (Tier
5) are based on highly variable biomass
estimates. This variability is stabilized
by using a 3-survey moving average. The
catch levels for these species are set by
applying a fishing mortality of 75
percent of the natural mortality to the
average exploitable biomass. These
fishing mortalities are precautionary in
that they are theoretically at least 25
percent below MSY fishing mortality
and are based on very low natural
mortalities (e.g., 0.02–0.07).
At this time, stock structure
information has not been synthesized
directly into the stock assessments
because of the lack of definitive
structure and sufficient data to model
spatially explicit populations. However,
life history characteristics are explicitly
accounted for in both the fishing
mortality estimates in age-structured
models (Tier 3) and in survey-biomass
based estimates (Tier 5). In agestructured models, age at maturity is
defined specific to each species and
longevity is incorporated in the natural
mortality estimates and the age data. For
survey biomass based models, this
information is not as well known, but
the low natural mortality estimates for
rockfish species is based on their
maximum age. Recent research of black
rockfish off the West Coast shows
evidence of older, mature fish being
more fecund, or producing higher
quality larvae, than younger mature fish.
Research is in progress to attempt to
answer this question for Alaskan
rockfish.
Comment 4: Signs of stress in North
Pacific rockfish populations include age
truncation, localized depletion, and
potential overfishing.
Response: Some age truncation will
occur if a stock is fished. Only GOA
Pacific ocean perch showed more age
truncation than was expected at
equilibrium. However, this population
is not at equilibrium and has increased
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substantially in the last decade.
Therefore, the observed age truncation
may be from fishing, but it also may be
from the recent strength of recruitment
substantially increasing the proportion
of younger fish.
Three species of rockfish have shown
localized depletion in some years and
areas. Most of the significant depletions
did not occur in the same place or in
consecutive years. The densities were as
high as they were in the previous year
when fishing resumed, implying
migration and replenishment when
depletions did occur in the same place
or in consecutive years.
Recently, North Pacific rockfish
species have not been subject to
consistent overfishing.
Comment 5: NMFS should support
the proposal by Goodman et al. in the
review of the North Pacific harvest
strategy to shift to F50% to F60%-based
harvest rates as one step in sustainable
rockfish management.
Response: There has been no evidence
that Alaskan rockfish need to have a
more conservative spawning output per
recruit (SPR) rate than other species.
Goodman et al. presented evidence
based on less productive West Coast
rockfish. The fishing mortality derived
from an F40% strategy is much lower for
rockfish with their sensitive life history
characteristics than the fishing
mortalities derived from the same
harvest strategy for other species. This
is due to the late maturity, slow growth,
and low natural mortality of rockfish.
For example, the fishing mortality rate
for rougheye rockfish is about one tenth
the fishing mortality rate for Pacific cod.
Several analyses for Pacific ocean perch
show F40% to be relatively conservative
for rockfish.
Comment 6: NMFS should set
separate TAC and OFL levels for
rougheye rockfish in the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands and consider the
closure of bycatch hotspots.
Response: Separation of the rougheye
rockfish TAC into the Bering Sea and AI
subareas would be based on the
proportion of the available biomass in
each subarea. Recent surveys estimate
the biomass of BSAI rougheye rockfish
as 11 percent in the Bering Sea subarea
and 89 percent in the AI subarea.
Therefore, a separate rougheye rockfish
TAC for the AI subarea would not be
much lower than the TAC for the BSAI
area, and would offer little additional
protection for AI rougheye rockfish.
Also, the biomass estimate used for
BSAI rougheye rockfish is based on the
AI survey data. The two years of the
Bering Sea slope survey (2002 and 2004)
have not been used in the stock
assessment due to the short length of
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this new time series. Basing the BSAI
stock assessment on only the AI survey
biomass produces more conservative
(lower) estimates of rougheye rockfish
biomass and TACs.
A separate TAC for Bering Sea
subarea rougheye rockfish could
potentially prevent disproportionate
harvesting, but the available data are not
sufficient to manage rougheye rockfish
in the Bering Sea subarea as a separate
stock. As mentioned above, the slope
survey time series consists of two years,
and very limited age and length
composition sampling has occurred for
rougheye rockfish on the Bering Sea
slope. Because BSAI rougheye rockfish
are obtained as incidental catch, setting
separate ABCs for the Bering Sea and AI
subareas may result in more regulatory
discarding.
Several management measures are in
place to minimize and distribute catch
of BSAI rougheye rockfish. Rougheye
rockfish are closed to directed fishing
for the entire year and are taken only in
association with other directed fisheries.
As a result, catch is partitioned
consistent with the population
distribution described above. In 2004
and 2005, 89 percent and 87 percent,
respectively, of the catch occurred in
the AI subarea.
Rougheye rockfish are taken
predominately in the Atka mackerel and
Pacific ocean perch fisheries in the AI
subarea. The directed Atka mackerel
and Pacific ocean perch fisheries are
divided into three separate Aleutian
Islands districts. Distribution of the
target fisheries also distributes the
incidental catch of rougheye rockfish.
Because rougheye rockfish are not
open to directed fishing and the
directed fisheries that catch rougheye
rockfish are distributed by three
districts in the Aleutian Island subarea,
creation of a separate TAC within the AI
subarea for rougheye rockfish would not
serve to reduce the potential of localized
depletion. Conversely, separate TACs
could serve to increase discards.
Retention rates are set low to
discourage intentional targeting within
the directed fisheries. For rougheye
rockfish the maximum retention rate is
2 percent in the Atka mackerel fishery
and 7 percent in the Pacific ocean perch
fishery.
In the North Pacific, localized
depletion has been examined for several
rockfish species including Pacific ocean
perch, northern rockfish, and dusky
rockfish. Localized depletion was found
to occur in some years and areas, but
has generally not diminished stock
densities over successive years. Fishery
catch per unit effort data is used as an
index of stock abundance to examine
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localized depletion on short time scales.
Because rougheye rockfish are not
subject to a direct fishery and are
obtained as incidental catch, fishery
catch per unit effort may not accurately
reflect population size, thus limiting the
data available for examining localized
depletion for this species.
Small Entity Compliance Guide
The following information is a plain
language guide to assist small entities in
complying with this final rule as
required by the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of
1996. This final rule’s primary
management measures are to announce
2006 and 2007 final harvest
specifications and prohibited species
bycatch allowances for the groundfish
fishery of the BSAI. This action is
necessary to establish harvest limits and
associated management measures for
groundfish during the 2006 and 2007
fishing years and to accomplish the
goals and objectives of the FMP. This
action affects all fishermen who
participate in the BSAI fishery. The
specific amounts of OFL, ABC, TAC and
PSC amounts are provided in tabular
form to assist the reader. NMFS will
announce closures of directed fishing in
the Federal Register and in information
bulletins released by the Alaska Region.
Affected fishermen should keep
themselves informed of such closures.
Classification
This action is authorized under
§ 679.20 and is exempt from review
under Executive Order 12866.
A Final Regulatory Flexibility
Analysis (FRFA) was prepared to
evaluate the impacts of the 2006 and
2007 harvest level specifications on
directly regulated small entities. This
FRFA is intended to meet the statutory
requirements of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (RFA).
The proposed rule for the BSAI
harvest specifications was published in
the Federal Register on December 16,
2005 (70 FR 74723). An Initial
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA)
was prepared for the proposed rule and
was described in the classifications
section of that preamble to the rule.
Copies of the IRFA prepared for this
action are available from NMFS, Alaska
Region (see ADDRESSES). The public
comment period ended on January 17,
2006. No comments were received on
the IRFA or regarding the economic
impacts of this rule.
The 2006 and 2007 harvest
specifications establish harvest limits
for the groundfish species and species
groups in the BSAI. This action is
necessary to allow fishing in 2006 and
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10911
2007. About 946 small catcher vessels,
29 small catcher/processors, and six
small private non-profit CDQ groups
may be directly regulated by the BSAI
harvest specifications. This regulation
does not impose new recordkeeping or
reporting requirements on the regulated
small entities.
The FRFA examined the impacts of
the preferred alternative on small
entities within fisheries defined by the
harvest of species groups whose TACs
might be affected by the harvest
specifications. The FRFA identified the
potential for adverse impacts of the
preferred alternative on small fishing
operations harvesting Pacific cod,
Greenland turbot, northern rockfish, and
‘‘other species’’ in the BSAI and on CDQ
groups operating in the BSAI.
There were an estimated 120 directly
regulated small entities in the BSAI
Pacific cod sector. These small
operations were projected to see a 3
percent decline in their gross revenues
from all sources in 2006 and 14 percent
(from 2005 levels) in 2007. There were
an estimated 24 directly regulated small
entities in the BSAI Greenland turbot
sector. These small operations were
projected to see less than a 1 percent
reduction in their gross revenues from
2005 levels in both 2006 and 2007.
There were an estimated 2 small entities
in the BSAI northern rockfish sector.
While detailed information cannot be
provided for these two operations
because of confidentiality restrictions,
BSAI northern rockfish revenues for
these two vessels were significantly less
than 1 percent of their annual revenues;
therefore, any decrease that may occur
in the BSAI northern rockfish allocation
in 2006 would have less than a 1
percent reduction in their gross
revenues. There were an estimated 28
directly regulated small entities in the
BSAI ‘‘other species’’ sector. These
small operations were expected to see
their revenues decline by a fraction of
a percent from 2005 levels in 2006 and
2007. Six non-profit CDQ groups
operating in the BSAI were expected to
see their revenues drop by under 1
percent between 2005 and 2006 and by
about 2 percent between 2005 and 2007.
Although the preferred alternative
had adverse impacts on some classes of
small entities compared to the fishery in
the preceding year, alternatives that had
smaller adverse impacts were precluded
by biological management concerns.
Four alternatives were evaluated in
addition to the preferred alternative.
Alternative 1 set TACs equal to the
maxFABC fishing rate. Alternative 1 was
associated with high TACs, high
revenues, and TACs that exceeded the
statutory BSAI OY. Alternative 2, the
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preferred alternative, set TACs to
produce the fishing rates recommended
by the Council on the basis of Plan
Team and SSC recommendations.
Alternative 3 set TACs to produce
fishing rates equal to half the maxFABC,
and Alternative 4 set TACs to produce
fishing rates equal to the last five years’
average fishing rate. Alternative 5 set
TACs equal to zero.
BSAI fishermen and CDQ groups
would have had larger gross revenues
under Alternative 1 than under the
preferred alternative. However,
Alternative 1 involves TAC levels that
are precluded by law since they would
exceed the statutory two million mt
BSAI OY. In order to stay within the OY
threshold, increases in some TACs
would have had to be offset by
decreases in other TACs. Moreover, in
2006 and 2007, the BSAI Pacific cod
TACs are set equal to the ABCs
recommended by the Council’s BSAI
Plan Team and SSC. Higher TACs
would not be consistent with prudent
biological management of the fishery;
therefore, Alternative 2 was chosen
instead of Alternative 1 because it sets
TACs as high as possible while still
protecting the biological health of the
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16:36 Mar 02, 2006
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stock. Alternative 2 was chosen instead
of Alternatives 3, 4, or 5 because it
provided higher levels of overall harvest
and revenue.
Under the provisions of 5 U.S.C.
553(d)(3), an agency can waive a delay
in the effective date of a substantive rule
for good cause. If the final harvest
specifications are not effective by March
5, 2006, which is the start of the Pacific
halibut season as specified by the IPHC,
the longline sablefish fishery will not
begin concurrently with the Pacific
halibut season. This would cause
sablefish that is caught with Pacific
halibut to be discarded, as both longline
sablefish and Pacific halibut are
managed under the same Individual
Fishing Quota program. Immediate
effectiveness of the 2006 and 2007 final
harvest specifications will allow the
sablefish fishery to begin concurrently
with the Pacific halibut season.
Accordingly, I find that there is good
cause to waive the 30-day delayed
effectiveness period under 5 U.S.C.
553(d)(3) with respect to such
provisions and to the apportionment
discussed above. Also, by regulation,
the AFA cooperative applications are
due to NMFS on December 1, 2005,
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providing the basis for the final AFA
cooperative allocation. The 2006
cooperatives changed from 2005 as a
result of 5 vessels changing
cooperatives. The inshore cooperative
allocations currently in effect are based
on cooperative applications for the 2005
fishing year. Time is of the essence to
have the 2006 and 2007 harvest
specifications in effect because vessels
begin fishing for inshore cooperative
pollock allocations immediately after
the start of the calendar year in order to
harvest pollock when its value is high
due to mature roe. Unless this delay is
waived, several vessels will be fishing
for the wrong AFA inshore cooperative
once the 2006 and 2007 final harvest
specifications are effective.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.; 1540(f);
1801 et seq.; 1851 note; and 3631 et seq.
Dated: February 28, 2006.
James W. Balsiger,
Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 06–1995 Filed 3–2–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
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[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 42 (Friday, March 3, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 10894-10912]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-1995]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 060216044-6044-01; I.D. 112805B]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea
and Aleutian Islands; 2006 and 2007 Final Harvest Specifications for
Groundfish
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Final rule; apportionment of reserves; closures.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces 2006 and 2007 final harvest specifications and
prohibited species catch (PSC) allowances for the groundfish fishery of
the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action
is necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the 2006
and 2007 fishing years and to accomplish the goals and objectives of
the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP). The intended effect of this
action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the BSAI
in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).
DATES: The 2006 and 2007 final harvest specifications and associated
apportionment of reserves are effective at 1200 hrs, Alaska local time
(A.l.t.), March 3, 2006 through 2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Final
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (FRFA) prepared for this action are
available from Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802,
Attn: Records Officer or from the Alaska Region Web site at https://
www.fakr.noaa.gov. Copies of the 2005 Stock Assessment and Fishery
Evaluation (SAFE) report for the groundfish resources of the BSAI,
dated November 2005, are available from the North Pacific Fishery
Management Council (Council), West 4th Avenue, Suite 306, Anchorage, AK
99510-2252 (907-271-2809) or from its Web site at https://
www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Furuness, 907-586-7228 or e-mail
mary.furuness@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal regulations at 50 CFR part 679
implement the FMP and govern the groundfish fisheries in the BSAI. The
Council prepared the FMP, and NMFS approved it under the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. General regulations governing U.S. fisheries also appear
at 50 CFR part 600.
The FMP and its implementing regulations require NMFS, after
consultation with the Council, to specify annually the total allowable
catch (TAC) for each target species and for the ``other species''
category, the sum must be within the optimum yield range of 1.4 million
to 2.0 million metric tons (mt) (see Sec. 679.20(a)(1)(i)). Also
specified are apportionments of TACs, and Community Development Quota
(CDQ) reserve amounts, PSC allowances, and prohibited species quota
(PSQ) reserve amounts. Section 679.20(c)(3) further requires NMFS to
consider public comment on the proposed annual TACs and apportionments
thereof and the proposed PSC allowances, and to publish final harvest
specifications in the Federal Register. The final harvest
specifications listed in Tables 1 through 17 of this action satisfy
these requirements. For 2006 and 2007, the sum of TACs for each year is
2 million mt.
The 2006 and 2007 proposed harvest specifications and PSC
allowances for the groundfish fishery of the BSAI were published in the
Federal Register on December 16, 2005 (70 FR 74723). Comments were
invited and accepted through January 17, 2006. NMFS received 1 letter
with several comments on the proposed harvest specifications. These
comments are summarized and responded to in the Response to Comments
section. NMFS consulted with the Council during the December 2005
Council meeting in Anchorage, AK. After considering public comments, as
well as biological and economic data that were available at the
Council's December meeting, NMFS is implementing the 2006 and 2007
final harvest specifications as recommended by the Council.
Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) and TAC Harvest Specifications
The final ABC levels are based on the best available biological and
[[Page 10895]]
socioeconomic information, including projected biomass trends,
information on assumed distribution of stock biomass, and revised
technical methods used to calculate stock biomass. In general, the
development of ABCs and overfishing levels (OFLs) involves
sophisticated statistical analyses of fish populations and is based on
a successive series of six levels, or tiers, of reliable information
available to fishery scientists. Tier 1 represents the highest level of
data quality and tier 6 the lowest level of data quality available.
In December 2005, the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC),
Advisory Panel (AP), and Council reviewed current biological
information about the condition of the BSAI groundfish stocks. The
Council's Plan Team complied and presented this information in the 2005
SAFE report for the BSAI groundfish fisheries, dated November 2005. The
SAFE report contains a review of the latest scientific analyses and
estimates of each species' biomass and other biological parameters, as
well as summaries of the available information on the BSAI ecosystem
and the economic condition of groundfish fisheries off Alaska. The SAFE
report is available for public review (see ADDRESSES). From these data
and analyses, the Plan Team estimates an OFL and ABC for each species
or species category.
In December 2005, the SSC, AP, and Council reviewed the Plan Team's
recommendations. Except for Bogoslof pollock and the ``other species''
category, the SSC, AP, and Council endorsed the Plan Team's ABC
recommendations. For 2006 and 2007, the SSC recommended lower Bogoslof
pollock OFLs and ABCs than the maximum permissible OFLs and ABCs
recommended by the Plan Team. For Bogoslof pollock, the SSC recommended
using a procedure that reduces the ABC proportionately to the ratio of
current stock biomass to target stock biomass. For ``other species,''
the SSC recommended using tier 6 management for the sharks and octopus
species resulting in lower ABCs than the Plan Team's recommended tier 5
management. The Plan Team also recommended separate OFLs and ABCs for
the species in the ``other species'' category; however, the current FMP
specifies management at the group level. Since 1999, the SSC has
recommended a procedure that moves gradually to a higher ABC for
``other species'' over a 10-year period instead of a large increase in
one year. The 2006 and 2007 ABC amounts reflect the 8th and 9th years
of incremental increase in the ABC for ``other species.'' For all
species, the AP endorsed the ABCs recommended by the SSC, and the
Council adopted them.
The final TAC recommendations were based on the ABCs as adjusted
for other biological and socioeconomic considerations, including
maintaining the sum of the TACs within the required optimum yield (OY)
range of 1.4 million to 2 million mt. The Council adopted the AP's 2006
and 2007 TAC recommendations. None of the Council's recommended TACs
for 2006 or 2007 exceeds the final 2006 or 2007 ABC for any species
category. NMFS finds that the recommended OFLs, ABCs, and TACs are
consistent with the biological condition of groundfish stocks as
described in the 2005 SAFE report that was approved by the Council.
Other Rules Affecting the 2006 and 2007 Harvest Specifications
The 2007 harvest specifications will be updated in early 2007, when
new harvest specifications for 2007 and 2008 are implemented.
The Council is reviewing Amendment 85, which may revise the BSAI
Pacific cod sector allocation and apportion the Pacific cod ABC or TAC
by Bering Sea subarea and Aleutian Islands (AI) subarea separately
instead of by the entire BSAI management area. The Council is also
reviewing Amendment 84, which may modify current regulations for
managing incidental catch of chinook and chum salmon. Another action
the Council may consider is separating some species from the ``other
species'' species category and establishing separate OFLs, ABCs, and
TACs for those species.
Changes From the 2006 and 2007 Proposed Harvest Specifications in the
BSAI
In October 2005, the Council's recommendations for the 2006 and
2007 proposed harvest specifications (70 FR 74723, December 16, 2005)
were based largely on information contained in the 2004 SAFE report for
the BSAI groundfish fisheries, dated November 2004. The Council
recommended that OFLs and ABCs for stocks in tiers 1 through 3 be based
on biomass projections as set forth in the 2004 SAFE report and
estimates of groundfish harvests through the 2005 fishing year. For
stocks in tiers 4 through 6, for which projections could not be made,
the Council recommended that OFL and ABC levels be unchanged from 2005
until the 2005 SAFE report could be completed. The 2005 SAFE report
(dated November 2005), which was not available when the Council made
its recommendations in October 2005, contains the best and most recent
scientific information on the condition of the groundfish stocks. In
December 2005, the Council considered the 2005 SAFE report in making
its recommendations for the 2006 and 2007 final harvest specifications.
Based on the 2005 SAFE report, the sum of the 2006 and 2007 recommended
final TACs for the BSAI (2,000,000 mt) is the same as the sum of the
2006 and 2007 proposed TACs. Those species for which the final 2006 TAC
is lower than the proposed 2006 TAC are Bering Sea subarea pollock
(decreased to 1,485,000 mt, from 1,487,756 mt), Pacific cod (decreased
to 194,000 mt, from 195,000 mt), Greenland turbot (decreased to 2,740
mt, from 3,500 mt), rock sole (decreased to 41,500 mt, from 42,000 mt),
flathead sole (decreased to 19,500 mt, from 20,000 mt), Alaska plaice
(decreased to 8,000 mt, from 10,000 mt), northern rockfish (decreased
to 4,500 mt, from 5,000 mt), shortraker rockfish (decreased to 580 mt,
from 596 mt), and ``other species'' (decreased to 29,000 mt, from
29,200 mt). Those species for which the final 2006 TAC is higher than
the proposed 2006 TAC are Bering Sea sablefish (increased to 2,820 mt,
from 2,310 mt), AI sablefish (increased to 3,000 mt, from 2,480 mt),
``other flatfish'' (increased to 3,500 mt, from 3,000 mt), yellowfin
sole (increased to 95,701 mt, from 90,000 mt), arrowtooth flounder
(increased to 13,000 mt, from 12,000 mt), and rougheye rockfish
(increased to 224 mt, from 223 mt). Those species for which the final
2007 TAC is lower than the proposed 2007 TAC are Pacific cod (decreased
to 148,000 mt, from 172,200 mt), Bering Sea Greenland turbot (decreased
to 2,630 mt, from 10,500 mt), Atka mackerel (decreased to 63,000 mt,
from 90,800 mt), yellowfin sole (decreased to 107,641 mt, from 109,600
mt), rock sole (decreased to 44,000 mt, from 116,100 mt), arrowtooth
flounder (decreased to 18,000 mt, from 39,100 mt), flathead sole
(decrease to 22,000 mt, from 50,600 mt), ``other flatfish'' (decreased
to 5,000 mt, from 21,400 mt), Alaska plaice (decreased to 15,000 mt,
from 65,000 mt), Pacific ocean perch (decreased to 14,800 mt, from
15,100 mt), northern rockfish (decreased to 5,000 mt, from 8,200 mt),
shortraker rockfish (decreased to 580 mt, from 596 mt), squid
(decreased to 1,275 mt, from 1,970 mt), and ``other species''
(decreased to 27,000 mt, from 29,200). Those species for which the
final 2007 TAC is higher than the proposed 2007 TAC are Bering Sea
pollock (increased to 1,500,000 mt,
[[Page 10896]]
from 1,223,200 mt), Bering Sea sablefish (increased to 2,700 mt, from
2,400 mt), AI sablefish (increased to 2,740 mt, from 2,600 mt), and
rougheye rockfish (increased to 224 from 223 mt). As mentioned in the
2006 and 2007 proposed harvest specifications, NMFS is apportioning the
amounts shown in Table 2 from the non-specified reserve to increase the
ITAC of several target species.
The 2006 and 2007 final TAC recommendations for the BSAI are within
the OY range established for the BSAI and do not exceed ABCs for any
single species/complexes. Compared to the 2006 and 2007 proposed
harvest specifications, the Council's 2005 final TAC recommendations
increase fishing opportunities for fishermen and economic benefits to
the nation for species for which the Council had sufficient information
to raise TAC levels. These include BSAI sablefish, yellowfin sole,
arrowtooth flounder, ``other flatfish'', and rougheye rockfish.
Conversely, the Council reduced TAC levels to provide greater
protection for several species, these include Bering Sea subarea
pollock, Pacific cod, rock sole, Greenland turbot, flathead sole,
Alaska plaice, northern rockfish, shortraker rougheye, and ``other
species.'' The changes recommended by the Council were based on the
best scientific information available, consistent with National
Standard 2 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and within a reasonable range
of variation from the proposed TAC recommendations so that the affected
public was fairly apprised and could have made meaningful comments.
Table 1 lists the 2006 and 2007 final OFL, ABC, TAC, ITAC and CDQ
reserve amounts of the BSAI groundfish. The apportionment of TAC
amounts among fisheries and seasons is discussed below.
Table 1.--2006 and 2007 Overfishing Level (OFL), Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC), Total Allowable Catch (TAC), Initial TAC (ITAC), and CDQ Reserve
Allocation of Groundfish in the BSAI \1\
[Amounts are in metric tons]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2006 2007
Species Area -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OFL ABC TAC ITAC \2\ CDQ \3\ OFL ABC TAC ITAC \2\ CDQ \3\
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pollock \4\.................. BS \2\..... 2,090,000 1,930,000 1,485,000 1,336,500 148,500 1,930,000 1,790,000 1,500,000 1,350,000 150,000
AI \2\..... 39,100 29,400 19,000 17,100 1,900 39,100 29,400 19,000 17,100 1,900
Bogoslof... 50,600 5,500 10 10 n/a 50,600 5,500 10 10 n/a
Pacific cod.................. BSAI....... 230,000 194,000 194,000 164,900 14,550 176,000 148,000 148,000 125,800 11,100
Sablefish \5\................ BS......... 3,680 3,060 2,820 2,327 388 3,260 2,700 2,700 1,148 101
AI......... 3,740 3,100 3,000 2,438 499 3,300 2,740 2,740 582 51
Atka mackerel................ BSAI....... 130,000 110,000 63,000 53,550 4,725 107,000 91,000 63,000 53,550 4,725
EAI/BS..... n/a 21,780 7,500 6,375 563 n/a 18,020 7,500 6,375 563
CAI........ n/a 46,860 40,000 34,000 3,000 n/a 38,760 38,000 32,300 2,850
WAI........ n/a 41,360 15,500 13,175 1,163 n/a 34,220 17,500 14,875 1,313
Yellowfin sole............... BSAI....... 144,000 121,000 95,701 81,346 7,178 137,000 116,000 107,641 91,495 8,073
Rock sole.................... BSAI....... 150,000 126,000 41,500 35,275 3,113 145,000 122,000 44,000 37,400 3,300
Greenland turbot............. BSAI....... 14,200 2,740 2,740 2,329 206 13,400 2,630 2,630 2,236 197
BS......... n/a 1,890 1,890 1,607 142 n/a 1,815 1,815 1,543 136
AI......... n/a 850 850 723 64 n/a 815 815 693 61
Arrowtooth flounder.......... BSAI....... 166,000 136,000 13,000 11,050 975 174,000 142,000 18,000 15,300 1,350
Flathead sole................ BSAI....... 71,800 59,800 19,500 16,575 1,463 67,900 56,600 22,000 18,700 1,650
Other flatfish \6\........... BSAI....... 24,200 18,100 3,500 2,975 263 24,200 18,100 5,000 4,250 375
Alaska plaice................ BSAI....... 237,000 188,000 8,000 6,800 600 231,000 183,000 15,000 12,750 1,125
Pacific ocean perch.......... BSAI....... 17,600 14,800 12,600 10,710 945 17,600 14,800 14,800 12,580 1,110
BS......... n/a 2,960 1,400 1,190 105 n/a 2,960 2,960 2,516 222
EAI........ n/a 3,256 3,080 2,618 231 n/a 3,256 3,256 2,768 244
CAI........ n/a 3,212 3,035 2,580 228 n/a 3,212 3,212 2,730 241
WAI........ n/a 5,372 5,085 4,322 381 n/a 5,375 5,372 4,566 403
Northern rockfish............ BSAI....... 10,100 8,530 4,500 3,825 338 9,890 8,320 5,000 4,250 375
Shortraker rockfish.......... BSAI....... 774 580 580 493 44 774 580 580 493 44
Rougheye rockfish............ BSAI....... 299 224 224 190 17 299 224 224 190 17
Other rockfish \7\........... BSAI....... 1,870 1,400 1,050 893 79 1,870 1,400 1,400 1,190 105
BS......... n/a 810 460 391 35 n/a 810 810 689 61
AI......... n/a 590 590 502 44 n/a 590 590 502 44
Squid........................ BSAI....... 2,620 1,970 1,275 1,084 n/a 2,620 1,970 1,275 1,084 n/a
Other species \8\............ BSAI....... 89,404 58,882 29,000 24,650 2,175 89,404 62,950 27,000 22,950 2,025
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total.................... ........... 3,476,987 3,013,086 2,000,000 1,775,020 187,958 3,224,217 2,799,914 2,000,000 1,773,058 187,623
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ These amounts apply to the entire BSAI management area unless otherwise specified. With the exception of pollock, and for the purpose of these
harvest specifications, the Bering Sea (BS) subarea includes the Bogoslof District.
\2\ Except for pollock and the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line and pot gear, 15 percent of each TAC is put into a reserve. The
ITAC for each species is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction of these reserves.
\3\ Except for pollock, squid and the hook-and-line or pot gear allocation of sablefish, one half of the amount of the TACs placed in reserve, or 7.5
percent of the TACs, is designated as a CDQ reserve for use by CDQ participants (see Sec. Sec. 679.20(b)(1)(iii) and 679.31).
\4\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(1), the annual Bering Sea pollock TAC after subtraction for the CDQ directed fishing allowance--10 percent and
the ICA--3.35 percent, is further allocated by sector for a directed pollock fishery as follows: Inshore--50 percent; catcher/processor--40 percent;
and motherships--10 percent. Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), the annual AI pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ
directed fishing allowance--10 percent and second for the ICA--1,800 mt, is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a directed pollock fishery.
\5\ Twenty percent of the sablefish TAC allocated to hook-and-line gear or pot gear and 7.5 percent of the sablefish TAC allocated to trawl gear is
reserved for use by CDQ participants (see Sec. 679.20(b)(1)(iii)).
\6\ ``Other flatfish'' includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), flathead sole, Greenland turbot, rock sole, yellowfin
sole, arrowtooth flounder and Alaska plaice.
\7\ ``Other rockfish'' includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, northern, shortraker, and rougheye rockfish.
\8\ ``Other species'' includes sculpins, sharks, skates and octopus. Forage fish, as defined at Sec. 679.2, are not included in the ``other species''
category.
[[Page 10897]]
Reserves and the Incidental Catch Allowance (ICA) for Pollock
Section 679.20(b)(1)(i) requires the placement of 15 percent of the
TAC for each target species or species group, except for pollock and
the hook-and-line and pot gear allocation of sablefish, in a non-
specified reserve. Section 679.20(b)(1)(iii) further requires the
allocation of one-half of each TAC amount that is placed in the non-
specified reserve (7.5 percent), with the exception of squid, to the
groundfish CDQ reserve, and the allocation of 20 percent of the hook-
and-line and pot gear allocation of sablefish to the fixed gear
sablefish CDQ reserve. Sections 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A) and 679.31(a) also
require the allocation of 10 percent of the BSAI pollock TACs to the
pollock CDQ directed fishing allowance. The entire Bogoslof District
pollock TAC is allocated as an ICA (see Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(ii)). With
the exception of the hook-and-line and pot gear sablefish CDQ reserve,
the regulations do not further apportion the CDQ reserves by gear.
Section 679.21(e)(1)(i) requires withholding of 7.5 percent of each PSC
limit, with the exception of herring, as a PSQ reserve for the CDQ
fisheries. Sections 679.30 and 679.31 set forth regulations governing
the management of the CDQ and PSQ reserves.
Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(1), NMFS allocates a pollock
ICA of 3.35 percent of the Bering Sea subarea pollock TAC after
subtraction of the 10 percent CDQ reserve. This allowance is based on
NMFS' examination of the pollock incidental catch, including the
incidental catch by CDQ vessels, in target fisheries other than pollock
from 1998 through 2005. During this 6-year period, the pollock
incidental catch ranged from a low of 2 percent in 2003, to a high of 5
percent in 1999, with a 6-year average of 3.5 percent. Pursuant to
Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), NMFS recommends setting a
1,800 mt ICA for AI subarea pollock after subtraction of the 10 percent
CDQ directed fishing allowance.
The regulations do not designate the remainder of the non-specified
reserve by species or species group. Any amount of the reserve may be
apportioned to a target species or to the ``other species'' category
during the year, providing that such apportionments do not result in
overfishing (see Sec. 679.20(b)(1)(ii)). The Regional Administrator
has determined that the ITACs specified for the species listed in Table
2 need to be supplemented from the non-specified reserve because U.S.
fishing vessels have demonstrated the capacity to catch the full TAC
allocations. Therefore, in accordance with Sec. 679.20(b)(3), NMFS is
apportioning the amounts shown in Table 2 from the non-specified
reserve to increase the ITAC to an amount that is equal to TAC minus
the CDQ reserve.
Table 2.--2006 and 2007 Apportionment of Reserves to ITAC Categories
[Amounts are in metric tons]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2006 2007
Species--area or subarea reserve 2006 final reserve 2007 final
amount ITAC amount ITAC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Atka mackerel--Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea 563 6,938 563 6,938
subarea....................................................
Atka mackerel--Central Aleutian District.................... 3,000 37,000 2,850 35,150
Atka mackerel--Western Aleutian District.................... 1,163 14,338 1,313 16,188
Pacific ocean perch--Eastern Aleutian District.............. 231 2,849 244 3,012
Pacific ocean perch--Central Aleutian District.............. 228 2,808 241 2,971
Pacific ocean perch--Western Aleutian District.............. 381 4,703 403 4,969
Pacific cod--BSAI........................................... 14,550 179,450 11,100 136,900
Shortraker rockfish--BSAI................................... 44 537 44 537
Rougheye rockfish--BSAI..................................... 17 207 17 207
Northern rockfish--BSAI..................................... 338 4,163 375 4,625
Other rockfish--Bering Sea subarea.......................... 35 426 61 750
---------------------------------------------------
Total................................................... 20,550 253,419 17,211 212,247
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allocation of Pollock TAC Under the American Fisheries Act (AFA)
Section 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A) requires that the pollock TAC
apportioned to the Bering Sea subarea, after subtraction of the 10
percent for the CDQ program and the 3.35 percent for the ICA, will be
allocated as a directed fishing allowance (DFA) as follows: 50 percent
to the inshore component, 40 percent to the catcher/processor
component, and 10 percent to the mothership component. In the Bering
Sea subarea, the A season (January 20-June 10) is allocated 40 percent
of the DFA and the B season (June 10-November 1) is allocated 60
percent of the DFA. The AI directed pollock fishery allocation to the
Aleut Corporation is the amount of pollock remaining in the AI subarea
after subtracting 1,900 mt for the CDQ DFA (10 percent) and 1,800 mt
for the ICA. In the AI subarea, 40 percent of the ABC is allocated to
the A season and the remainder of the directed pollock fishery is
allocated to the B season. Table 3 lists these 2006 and 2007 amounts.
Section 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4) also includes several specific
requirements regarding pollock and pollock allocations. First, 8.5
percent of the pollock allocated to the catcher/processor sector will
be available for harvest by AFA catcher vessels with catcher/processor
sector endorsements, unless the Regional Administrator receives a
cooperative contract that provides for the distribution of harvest
among AFA catcher/processors and AFA catcher vessels in a manner agreed
to by all members. Second, AFA catcher/processors not listed in the AFA
are limited to harvesting not more than 0.5 percent of the pollock
allocated to the catcher/processor sector. Table 3 lists the 2006 and
2007 allocations of pollock TAC. Tables 10 through 17 list other
provisions of the AFA, including inshore pollock cooperative
allocations and listed catcher/processor and catcher vessel harvesting
sideboard limits.
Table 3 also lists seasonal apportionments of pollock and harvest
limits within the Steller Sea Lion Conservation Area (SCA). The harvest
within the SCA, as defined at Sec. 679.22(a)(7)(vii), is limited to 28
percent of the annual directed fishing allowance (DFA) until April 1.
The remaining 12 percent of the 40 percent of the annual DFA allocated
to the A season may be taken outside the SCA before April 1 or inside
the SCA after April 1. If the 28 percent of the annual
[[Page 10898]]
DFA is not taken inside the SCA before April 1, the remainder is
available to be taken inside the SCA after April 1. The A season
pollock SCA harvest limit will be apportioned to each sector in
proportion to each sector's allocated percentage of the DFA. Table 3
lists by sector these 2006 and 2007 amounts.
Table 3.--2006 and 2007 Allocations of Pollock TACS to the Directed Pollock Fisheries and to the CDQ Directed Fishing Allowances (DFA)\1\
[Amounts are in metric tons]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2006 A season \1\ 2006 B 2007 A season \1\ 2007 B
-------------------------- season \1\ -------------------------- season \1\
Area and sector 2006 ------------- 2007 ------------
allocations A season SCA harvest B season allocations A season SCA harvest B season
DFA limit \2\ DFA DFA limit \2\ DFA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bering Sea subarea.............................. 1,485,000 n/a n/a n/a 1,500,000 n/a n/a n/a
CDQ DFA......................................... 148,500 59,400 41,580 89,100 150,000 60,000 42,000 90,000
ICA \1\......................................... 44,773 n/a n/a n/a 45,225 n/a n/a n/a
AFA Inshore..................................... 645,864 258,345 180,842 387,518 652,388 260,955 182,669 391,433
AFA Catcher/Processors \3\...................... 516,691 206,676 144,673 310,015 521,910 208,764 146,135 313,146
Catch by C/Ps............................... 472,772 189,109 n/a 283,663 477,548 191,019 n/a 286,529
Catch by CVs \3\............................ 43,919 17,567 n/a 26,351 44,362 17,745 n/a 26,617
Unlisted C/P Limit \4\.................. 2,583 1,033 n/a 1,550 2,610 1,044 n/a 1,566
AFA Motherships................................. 129,173 51,669 36,168 77,504 130,478 52,191 36,534 78,287
Excessive Harvesting Limit \5\.................. 226,052 n/a n/a n/a 228,336 n/a n/a n/a
Excessive Processing Limit \6\.................. 387,518 n/a n/a n/a 391,433 n/a n/a n/a
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Bering Sea DFA........................ 1,440,228 576,090 403,263 864,137 1,454,776 581,910 407,338 872,866
Aleutian Islands subarea \1\.................... 19,000 n/a n/a n/a 19,000 n/a n/a n/a
CDQ DFA..................................... 1,900 760 n/a 1,140 1,900 760 n/a 1,140
ICA......................................... 1,800 1,200 n/a 600 1,800 1,200 n/a 600
Aleut Corporation........................... 15,300 9,800 n/a 5,500 15,300 9,800 n/a 5,500
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bogoslof District ICA \7\....................... 10 n/a n/a n/a 10 n/a n/a n/a
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the Bering Sea subarea pollock, after subtraction for the CDQ DFA--10 percent and the ICA--3.35 percent, is
allocated as a DFA as follows: Inshore component--50 percent, catcher/processor component--40 percent, and mothership component--10 percent. In the
Bering Sea subarea, the A season, January 20--June 10, is allocated 40 percent of the DFA and the B season, June 10--November 1, is allocated 60
percent of the DFA. Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), the annual AI pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed
fishing allowance--10 percent and second the ICA--1,800 mt, is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a directed pollock fishery. In the AI subarea,
the A season is allocated 40 percent of the ABC and the B season is allocated the remainder of the directed pollock fishery.
\2\ In the Bering Sea subarea, no more than 28 percent of each sector's annual DFA may be taken from the SCA before April 1. The remaining 12 percent of
the annual DFA allocated to the A season may be taken outside of SCA before April 1 or inside the SCA after April 1. If 28 percent of the annual DFA
is not taken inside the SCA before April 1, the remainder is available to be taken inside the SCA after April 1.
\3\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4), not less than 8.5 percent of the DFA allocated to listed catcher/processors shall be available for harvest
only by eligible catcher vessels delivering to listed catcher/processors.
\4\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4)(iii), the AFA unlisted catcher/processors are limited to harvesting not more than 0.5 percent of the
catcher/processors sector's allocation of pollock.
\5\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(6) NMFS establishes an excessive harvesting share limit equal to 17.5 percent of the sum of the pollock DFAs.
\6\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(7) NMFS establishes an excessive processing share limit equal to 30.0 percent of the sum of the pollock DFAs.
\7\ The Bogoslof District is closed by the final harvest specifications to directed fishing for pollock. The amounts specified are for ICA only, and are
not apportioned by season or sector.
Allocation of the Atka Mackerel ITAC
Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(8)(i), up to 2 percent of the Eastern
Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea Atka mackerel ITAC may be
allocated to jig gear. The amount of this allocation is determined
annually by the Council based on several criteria, including the
anticipated harvest capacity of the jig gear fleet. The Council
recommended, and NMFS approved, a 1 percent allocation of the Atka
mackerel ITAC in the Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea
subarea to the jig gear in 2006 and 2007. Based on the 2006 and 2007
ITACs and reserve apportionments that together total 6,938 mt, the jig
gear allocation is 69 mt.
Section Sec. 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(A) apportions the Atka mackerel ITAC
into two equal seasonal allowances. After subtraction of the jig gear
allocation, the first seasonal allowance is made available for directed
fishing from January 1 (January 20 for trawl gear) to April 15 (A
season), and the second seasonal allowance is made available from
September 1 to November 1 (B season) (see Table 4).
Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(1), the Regional
Administrator will establish a harvest limit area (HLA) limit of no
more than 60 percent of the seasonal TAC for the Western and Central
Aleutian Districts. A lottery system is used for the HLA Atka mackerel
directed fisheries to reduce the amount of daily catch in the HLA by
about half and to disperse the fishery over two districts (see Sec.
679.20(a)(8)(iii)).
[[Page 10899]]
Table 4.-2006 and 2007 Seasonal and Spatial Allowances, Gear Shares, and CDQ Reserve of the BSAI ATKA Mackerel TAC \1\
[Amounts are in metric tons]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2006 seasonal allowances \2\
---------------------------------------------------
2006 CDQ 2006 CDQ A season \3\ B season \3\
Subarea and component 2006 TAC reserve reserve HLA 2006 ITAC ---------------------------------------------------
limit \4\ HLA limit HLA limit
Total \4\ Total \4\
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Western AI District............................. 15,500 1,163 698 14,338 7,169 4,301 7,169 4,301
Central AI District............................. 40,000 3,000 1,800 37,000 18,500 11,100 18,500 11,100
EAI/BS subarea \5\.............................. 7,500 563 n/a 6,938 n/a n/a n/a n/a
Jig (1%) \6\................................ n/a n/a n/a 69 n/a n/a n/a n/a
Other gear (99%)............................ n/a n/a n/a 6,868 3,434 n/a 3,434 n/a
--------------
Total................................... 63,000 n/a n/a n/a 29,103 n/a 29,103 n/a
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2007 Seasonal allowances \2\
-----------------------------------------------------------
2007 CDQ B season \3\
Subarea and component 2007 TAC 2007 CDQ reserve HLA 2007 ITAC ----------------------------------------------
reserve limit \4\ A season HLA
\3\ Total HLA limit Total limit
\4\ \4\
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------
Western AI District........................ 17,500 1,313 788 16,188 8,094 4,856 8,094 4,856
Central AI District........................ 38,000 2,850 1,710 35,150 17,575 10,545 17,575 10,545
EAI/BS subarea \5\......................... 7,500 563 n/a 6,938 n/a n/a n/a n/a
Jig (1%) \6\........................... n/a n/a n/a 69 n/a n/a n/a n/a
Other gear (99%)....................... n/a n/a n/a 6,868 3,434 n/a 3,434 n/a
--------------
Total.............................. 63,000 n/a n/a n/a 29,103 n/a 29,103 n/a
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Regulations at Sec. Sec. 679.20(a)(8)(ii) and 679.22(a) establish temporal and spatial limitations for the Atka mackerel fishery.
\2\ The seasonal allowances of Atka mackerel are 50 percent in the A season and 50 percent in the B season.
\3\ The A season is January 1 (January 20 for trawl gear) to April 15 and the B season is September 1 to November 1.
\4\ Harvest Limit Area (HLA) limit refers to the amount of each seasonal allowance that is available for fishing inside the HLA (see Sec. 679.2). In
2006 and 2007, 60 percent of each seasonal allowance is available for fishing inside the HLA in the Western and Central Aleutian Districts.
\5\ Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea.
\6\ Regulations at Sec. 679.20 (a)(8)(i) require that up to 2 percent of the Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering Sea subarea ITAC be allocated to
jig gear. The amount of this allocation is 1 percent. The jig gear allocation is not apportioned by season.
Allocation of the Pacific Cod ITAC
Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(7)(i)(A), 2 percent of the Pacific cod
ITAC is allocated to vessels using jig gear, 51 percent to vessels
using hook-and-line or pot gear, and 47 percent to vessels using trawl
gear. Section 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B) further allocates the portion of the
Pacific cod ITAC allocated to trawl gear as 50 percent to catcher
vessels and 50 percent to catcher/processors. Section
679.20(a)(7)(i)(C)(1) sets aside a portion of the Pacific cod ITAC
allocated to hook-and-line or pot gear as an ICA of Pacific cod in
directed fisheries for groundfish using these gear types. Based on
anticipated incidental catch in these fisheries, the Regional
Administrator specifies an ICA of 500 mt. The remainder of Pacific cod
ITAC is further allocated to vessels using hook-and-line or pot gear as
the following DFAs: 80 percent to hook-and-line catcher/processors, 0.3
percent to hook-and-line catcher vessels, 3.3 percent to pot catcher/
processors, 15 percent to pot catcher vessels, and 1.4 percent to
catcher vessels under 60 feet (18.3 m) length overall (LOA) using hook-
and-line or pot gear.
Due to concerns about the potential impact of the Pacific cod
fishery on Steller sea lions and their critical habitat, the
apportionment of the ITAC disperses the Pacific cod fisheries into two
seasonal allowances (see Sec. Sec. 679.20(a)(7)(iii)(A) and
679.23(e)(5)). For pot and most hook-and-line gear, the first seasonal
allowance of 60 percent of the ITAC is made available for directed
fishing from January 1 to June 10, and the second seasonal allowance of
40 percent of the ITAC is made available from June 10 (September 1 for
pot gear) to December 31. No seasonal harvest constraints are imposed
for the Pacific cod fishery by catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3
m) LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear. For trawl gear, the first
season is January 20 to April 1 and is allocated 60 percent of the
ITAC. The second season, April 1 to June 10, and the third season, June
10 to November 1, are each allocated 20 percent of the ITAC. The trawl
catcher vessel allocation is further allocated as 70 percent in the
first season, 10 percent in the second season and 20 percent in the
third season. The trawl catcher/processor allocation is allocated 50
percent in the first season, 30 percent in the second season, and 20
percent in the third season. For jig gear, the first season and third
seasons are each allocated 40 percent of the ITAC and the second season
is allocated 20 percent of the ITAC. Table 5 lists the 2006 and 2007
allocations and seasonal apportionments of the Pacific cod ITAC. In
accordance with Sec. 679.20(a)(7)(ii)(D) and (iii)(B), any unused
portion of a seasonal Pacific cod allowance will become available at
the beginning of the next seasonal allowance.
[[Page 10900]]
Table 5.--2006 and 2007 Gear Shares and Seasonal Allowances of the BSAI Pacific Cod ITAC
[Amounts are in metric tons]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2006 2006 2006 2006 seasonal appointment \1\ 2007 2007 2007 2007 seasonal appointment \1\
share of subtotal share of --------------------------------------- share of subtotal share of --------------------------------------
Gear sector Percent gear percentages gear gear percentage gear
sector for gear sector Date Amount sector for gear sector Date Amount
total sectors total total sectors total
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total hook-and-line/pot gear........... 51 91,520 n/a n/a n/a........................ n/a 69,819 n/a n/a n/a........................ n/a
Hook-and-line/pot ICA.................. n/a n/a n/a 500 n/a........................ n/a n/a n/a 500 n/a........................ n/a
Hook-and-line/pot sub-total............ n/a 91,020 n/a n/a n/a........................ n/a 69,319 n/a n/a n/a........................ n/a
Hook-and-line C/P...................... n/a n/a 80 72,816 Jan 1-Jun 10............... 43,690 n/a 80 55,455 Jan 1-Jun 10............... 33,273
........ ........ ........... ........ Jun 10-Dec 31.............. 29,126 ........ .......... ........ Jun 10-Dec 31.............. 22,182
Hook-and-line CV....................... n/a n/a 0.3 273 Jan 1-Jun 10............... 164 n/a 0.3 208 Jan 1-Jun 10............... 125
........ ........ ........... ........ Jun 10-Dec 31.............. 109 ........ .......... ........ Jun 10-Dec 31.............. 83
Pot C/P................................ n/a n/a 3.3 3,004 Jan 1-Jun 10............... 1,803 n/a 3.3 2,288 Jan 1-Jun 10............... 1,373
........ ........ ........... ........ Sept 1-Dec 31.............. 1,201 ........ .......... ........ Sept 1-Dec 31.............. 915
Pot CV................................. n/a n/a 15 13,653 Jan 1-Jun 10............... 8,192 n/a 15 10,398 Jan 1-Jun 10............... 6,239
........ ........ ........... ........ Sept 1-Dec 31.............. 5,461 ........ .......... ........ Sept 1-Dec 31.............. 4,159
CV < 60 feet LOA using Hook-and-line or n/a n/a 1.4 1,274 n/a........................ n/a n/a 1.4 970 n/a........................ n/a
Pot gear.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Trawl Gear................... 47 84,342 n/a n/a n/a........................ n/a 64,343 n/a n/a n/a........................ n/a
Trawl CV........................... ........ ........ 50 42,171 Jan 20-Apr 1............... 29,520 ........ 50 32,171 Jan 20-Apr 1............... 22,520
........ ........ ........... n/a Apr 1-Jun 10............... 4,217 ........ .......... n/a Apr 1-Jun 10............... 3,217
........ ........ ........... n/a Jun 10-Nov 1............... 8,434 ........ .......... n/a Jun 10-Nov 1............... 6,434
Trawl CP........................... ........ ........ 50 42,171 Jan 20-Apr 1............... 21,086 ........ 50 32,171 Jan 20-Apr 1............... 16,086
........ ........ ........... n/a Apr 1-Jun 10............... 12,651 ........ .......... n/a Apr 1-Jun 10............... 9,651
........ ........ ........... n/a Jun 10-Nov 1............... 8,434 ........ .......... n/a Jun 10-Nov 1............... 6,434
Jig.................................... 2 3,589 n/a n/a Jan 1-Apr 30............... 1,436 2,738 n/a n/a Jan 1-Apr 30............... 1,095
........ ........ n/a n/a Apr 30-Aug 31.............. 718 ........ n/a n/a Apr 30-Aug 31.............. 548
........ ........ n/a n/a Aug 31-Dec 31.............. 1,435 ........ n/a n/a Aug 31-Dec 31.............. 1,095
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total.......................... 100 179,450 n/a n/a n/a........................ n/a 136,900 n/a n/a n/a........................ n/a
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ For most non-trawl gear the first season is allocated 60 percent of the ITAC and the second season is allocated 40 percent of the ITAC. For jig gear, the first season and third seasons are
each allocated 40 percent of the ITAC and the second season is allocated 20 percent of the ITAC. No seasonal harvest constraints are imposed for the Pacific cod fishery by catcher vessels
less than 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear. For trawl gear, the first season is allocated 60 percent of the ITAC and the second and third seasons are each allocated 20
percent of the ITAC. The trawl catcher vessels' allocation is further allocated as 70 percent in the first season, 10 percent in the second season and 20 percent in the third season. The
trawl catcher/processors' allocation is allocated 50 percent in the first season, 30 percent in the second season and 20 percent in the third season. Any unused portion of a seasonal Pacific
cod allowance will be reapportioned to the next seasonal allowance.
Sablefish Gear Allocation
Section 679.20(a)(4)(iii) and (iv) requires the allocation of
sablefish TACs for the Bering Sea and AI subareas between trawl and
hook-and-line or pot gear. Gear allocations of the TACs for the Bering
Sea subarea are 50 percent for trawl gear and 50 percent for hook-and-
line or pot gear and for the AI subarea are 25 percent for trawl gear
and 75 percent for hook-and-line or pot gear. Section
679.20(b)(1)(iii)(B) requires apportionment of 20 percent of the hook-
and-line and pot gear allocation of sablefish to the CDQ reserve.
Additionally, Sec. 679.20(b)(1)(iii)(A) requires apportionment of 7.5
percent of the trawl gear allocation of sablefish (one half of the
reserve) to the CDQ reserve. Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(c)(1)(iv), the
harvest specifications for the hook-and-line gear and pot gear
sablefish IFQ fisheries will be limited to the 2006 fishing year to
ensure those fisheries are conducted concurrent with the halibut IFQ
fishery. Having the sablefish IFQ fisheries concurrent with the halibut
IFQ fishery will reduce the potential for discards of halibut and
sablefish in those fisheries. The sablefish IFQ fisheries will remain
closed at the beginning of each fishing year until the final
specifications for the sablefish IFQ fisheries are in effect. The trawl
sablefish fishery will be managed using specifications for up to a 2-
year period concurrent with the remaining BSAI species. Table 6 lists
the 2006 and 2007 gear allocations of the sablefish TAC and CDQ reserve
amounts.
Table 6.--2006 and 2007 Gear Shares and CDQ Reserve of BSAI Sablefish TACS
[Amounts are in metric tons]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percent of 2006 share 2006 ITAC 2006 CDQ 2007 share 2007 CDQ
Subarea and gear TAC of TAC \1\ reserve of TAC 2007 ITAC reserve
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bering Sea:
Trawl \2\................................................ 50 1,410 1,199 106 1,350 1,148 101
Hook-and-line/pot gear \3\............................... 50 1,410 1,128 282 n/a n/a n/a
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total................................................ 100 2,820 2,327 388 1,350 1,148 101
Aleutian Islands:
Trawl \2\................................................ 25 750 638 56 685 582 51
Hook-and-line/pot gear \3\............................... 75 2,250 1,800 450 n/a n/a n/a
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 10901]]
Total................................................ 100 3,000 2,438 506 685 582 51
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Except for the sablefish hook-and-line or pot gear allocation, 15 percent of TAC is apportioned to the reserve. The ITAC is the remainder of the TAC
after the subtraction of these reserves.
\2\ For the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to vessels using trawl gear, one half of the reserve (7.5 percent of the specified TAC) is reserved
for the CDQ program.
\3\ For the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to vessels using hook-and-line or pot gear, 20 percent of the allocated TAC is reserved for use by
CDQ participants. The Council recommended that specifications for the hook-and-line gear sablefish IFQ fisheries be limited to 1 year.
Allocation of PSC Limits for Halibut, Salmon, Crab, and Herring
Section 679.21(e) provides the halibut PSC limits. The BSAI halibut
mortality limits are 3,675 mt for trawl fisheries and 900 mt for the
non-trawl fisheries. Section 679.21(e)(1)(vii) specifies 29,000 fish as
the 2006 and 2007 chinook salmon PSC limit for the Bering Sea subarea
pollock fishery. Section 679.21(e)(1)(i) allocates 7.5 percent, or
2,175 chinook salmon, as the PSQ for the CDQ program and allocates the
remaining 26,825 chinook salmon to the non-CDQ fisheries. Section
679.21(e)(1)(ix) specifies 700 fish as the 2006 and 2007 PSC limit for
the AI subarea pollock fishery. Section 679.21(e)(l)(i) allocates 7.5
percent, or 53 chinook salmon, as an AI PSQ for the CDQ program and
allocates the remaining 647 chinook salmon to the non-CDQ fisheries.
Section 679.21(e)(1)(viii) specifies 42,000 fish as the 2006 and 2007
non-chinook salmon PSC limit. Section 679.21(e)(1)(i) allocates 7.5
percent, or 3,150 non-chinook salmon, as the PSQ for the CDQ program
and allocates the remaining 38,850 non-chinook salmon to the non-CDQ
fisheries. PSC limits for crab and herring are specified annually based
on abundance and spawning biomass.
The red king crab mature female abundance is estimated from the
2005 survey data as 42.6 million king crab and the effective spawning
biomass is estimated as 68 million pounds (30,845 mt). Based on the
criteria set out at Sec. 679.21(e)(1)(ii), the 2006 and 2007 PSC limit
of red king crab in Zone 1 for trawl gear is 197,000 animals. This
limit results from the mature female abundance being above 8.4 million
king crab and the effective spawning biomass estimate being greater
than 55 million pounds (24,948 mt).
Section 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B) establishes criteria under which NMFS
must specify an annual red king crab bycatch limit for the Red King
Crab Savings Subarea (RKCSS). The regulations limit the RKCSS to up to
35 percent of the trawl bycatch allowance specified for the rock sole/
flathead sole/``other flatfish'' fishery category based on the need to
optimize the groundfish harvest relative to red king crab bycatch. The
Council recommended, and NMFS approves, a red king crab bycatch limit
equal to 35 percent of the trawl bycatch allowance specified for the
rock sole/flathead sole/``other flatfish'' fishery category within the
RKCSS.
Based on 2005 survey data, Tanner crab Chionoecetes bairdi
abundance is estimated as 763 million animals. Given the criteria set
out at Sec. 679.21(e)(1)(iii), the 2006 and 2007 C. bairdi crab PSC
limit for trawl gear is 980,000 animals in Zone 1 and 2,970,000 animals
in Zone 2. These limits result from the C. bairdi crab abundance
estimate of over 400 million animals.
Pursuant to Sec. 679.21(e)(1)(iv), the PSC limit for snow crab C.
opilio is based on total abundance as indicated by the NMFS annual
bottom trawl survey. The C. opilio crab PSC limit is set at 0.1133
percent of the Bering Sea abundance index. Based on the 2005 survey
estimate of 5,217,718,000 animals, the calculated limit is 5,911,674
animals. Pursuant to Sec. 679.21(e)(1)(iv)(B), the 2006 and 2007 C.
opilio crab PSC limit is 5,911,674 animals minus 150,000 animals, which
results in a limit of 5,761,674 animals.
Pursuant to Sec. 679.21(e)(1)(vi), the PSC limit of Pacific
herring caught while conducting any trawl operation for BSAI groundfish
is 1 percent of the annual eastern Bering Sea herring biomass. The best
estimate of 2006 and 2007 herring biomass is 177,000 mt. This amount
was derived using 2005 survey data and an age-structured biomass
projection model developed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Therefore, the 2006 and 2007 herring PSC limit is 1,770 mt.
Pursuant to Sec. 679.21(e)(1)(i), 7.5 percent of each PSC limit
specified for halibut and crab is allocated as a PSQ reserve for use by
the groundfish CDQ program. Section Sec. 679.21(e)(3) requires the
apportionment of each trawl PSC limit into PSC bycatch allowances for
seven specified fishery categories. Section 679.21(e)(4)(ii) authorizes
the apportionment of the non-trawl halibut PSC limit into PSC bycatch
allowances among five fishery categories. Table 7 lists the fishery
bycatch allowances for the trawl and non-trawl fisheries.
Section 679.21(e)(4)(ii) authorizes the exemption of specified non-
trawl fisheries from the halibut PSC limit. As in past years, NMFS,
after consultation with the Council, is exempting pot gear, jig gear,
and the sablefish IFQ hook-and-line gear fishery categories from
halibut bycatch restrictions because: (1) The pot gear fisheries
experience low halibut bycatch mortality, (2) halibut mortality for the
jig gear fleet cannot be estimated because these vessels do not carry
observers, and (3) the sablefish and halibut Individual Fishing Quota
(IFQ) program (subpart D of 50 CFR part 679) requires legal-sized
halibut to be retained by vessels using hook-and-line gear if a halibut
IFQ permit holder or a hired master is aboard and is holding unused
halibut IFQ. In 2005, total BSAI groundfish catch for the pot gear
fishery was approximately 18,342 mt, with an associated halibut bycatch
mortality of about 42 mt. The 2005 jig gear fishery harvested about 124
mt of groundfish. Most vessels in the jig gear fleet are less than 60
ft (18.3 m) LOA and thus are exempt from observer coverage
requirements. As a result, observer data are not available on halibut
bycatch in the jig gear fishery. However, a negligible amount of
halibut bycatch mortality is assumed because of the selective nature of
this gear type and the likelihood that halibut caught with jig gear
have a high survival rate when released.
Section 679.21(e)(5) authorizes NMFS, after consultation with the
Council, to establish seasonal apportionments of PSC amounts in order
to maximize the ability of the fleet to harvest the available
groundfish TAC and to minimize bycatch. The factors to be considered
are: (1) Seasonal distribution of prohibited species, (2) seasonal
distribution of target groundfish species, (3) PS
